Uhuru and Raila confident of BBI sailing through at appeals court

President Uhuru kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga at wagai in Siaya county on May 30, 2021. (Collins oduor, Standard)

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila Odinga have exuded confidence of winning against stoppage of Building Bridges Initiative by the High Court at the Court of Appeal.

"With the likes of (Siaya Senator) James Orengo in court, we are optimistic that we will win this war" said President Kenyatta.

The President said the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill was not meant to benefit him and Raila but was for the good of all Kenyans.

Just like Uhuru, Raila said the BBI proponents were still soldiering on as “nobody can stop the reggae.”

Speaking in Siaya during the start of his three-day tour of Nyanza ahead of June 1, Madaraka Day celebrations, an upbeat Uhuru and Raila drummed up support for the BBI which is seen as key in uniting the country and cementing their legacy.

The Head of State said the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) was not a ploy to benefit him and Raila, but to facilitate cooperation and development, exuding confidence that with lawyers like Orengo, he was convinced that BBI will succeed at the court of appeal.

The President said he had a big plan for the county and the region, saying the handshake between him and Raila facilitated the dreams.

"In the next two months, we will be coming back to this region to break the ground for the construction of Koru-Soin Dam (in Muhoroni, Kisumu County) so as to put to a permanent end the perennial flooding in Nyando River basin," said the President.

He reiterated that those were some of the benefits of the handshake.

Raila on the other hand asked the President to also look into improving the state of Luanda-Siaya road which he said was constructed long time ago to serve a smaller traffic.

"The number of motorists using the road has gone up, and it needs to be expanded. It was designed for smaller traffic," said Raila.

From Wagai, the leaders headed to Yala where they launched a water project.

Their message was the same at the event, reiterating the desire to spread development in the region.

President Kenyatta and Raila landed at Kudho Primary School in South Gem few minutes to 4pm to the reception of area Senator James Orengo who was accompanied by a host of area leaders.

The chopper carrying Raila was the first to land, with the President's security following in toe, before the President himself landed.

The convoy then left to Wagai where the President launched the Sh1.4 billion Kodiaga-Wagai-Akala road.

By 5.15pm, the President's convoy left the ground, heading back to Kudho for their flights back to Kisumu.

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