Good News to Raila Odinga As Kalonzo’s Wiper resolves to popularise BBI countrywide

Wiper Democratic Movement on Sunday said that it will traverse the country to popularise the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

In a statement to the press issued after a two-day retreat at Maanzoni Lodge in Machakos County, the WDM National Executive Council agreed to back the initiative because it is a national conversation rather than a contest between two leaders.

“It provides us with the change to strengthen devolution and consolidate gains made under the new dispensation. Importantly, it provides a unique opportunity to address fears and concerns of millions of Kenyans, who feel excluded in our governance structure,” said Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

However, Kalonzo, a former vice-president under the third president of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, said that his party is opposed to the proposal for regional governments.

“It is clear that Kenya is not ready for regional governments. In our view, what is critical for us is to strengthen devolution and make it work for the common mwananchi by creating a Ward Development Fund,” said Kalonzo.

The proposal for ward-focussed development was previously fronted by the ThirdWay Alliance Party leader, Dr. Ekuru Aukot, through his rejected Punguza Mizigo initiative.

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Despite signing a working partnership with the ruling party, Jubilee, Kalonzo said that Wiper will digitize its membership recruitment as it plans to field a presidential candidate in the 2022 General Election.

The BBI is a brainchild of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.

It formed the basis for the political truce signed between President Kenyatta and Raila agreed on March 9, 2018, during their famous handshake on the steps of Harambee House in Nairobi.

The handshake ended three months of political turmoil that threatened to grind the country to halt following two presidential elections.

The results of the first presidential election in which President Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, were announced victors were annulled by the Supreme Court precipitating the second election.

However, the ODM leader refused to participate in the second election, leading to an easy victory for Uhuru-Ruto and the subsequent mock swearing-in of Raila at Uhuru Park on at the tail end of January.