We will support court ruling on BBI reggae - Raila

ODM leader Raila Odinga (pictured) has said he will support the court's decision on the Building Bridges Initiative.

Speaking while touring Nakuru, the former Prime Minister said, “We will wait for the ruling of the court. If they rule favourably well and good and if they rule otherwise it will still be okay but nobody can stop reggae."

Raila was with Governors Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and MPs Junet Mohammed (Suna East), Maoka Maore (Igembe North), Maina Kamanda (Nominated).

The Court of Appeal will deliver the judgement on the BBI appeal case on August 20.

Last month, Raila said his team has a ‘Plan B’ should the higher courts reject BBI constitutional change push.

Speaking in Malindi, Kilifi County, on July 20, Raila, who is a co-principal in the BBI push, said the quest for constitutional reform is “unstoppable”.

“Should the courts dismiss the BBI appeal, we have an alternative route to effecting the constitutional reforms,” Odinga said during the burial ceremony of Devolution Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Gideon Mung’aro’s uncle.

BBI proponents, led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila, filed petitions at the Appellate court, seeking to overturn the May 13 decision by the High Court that shot down the BBI push on grounds that President Kenyatta used the popular initiative route to initiate changes to the Constitution, an avenue preserved for the common mwananchi.

Kenyatta’s lawyers told a seven-judge Court of Appeal bench that the High Court erred in its decision to reject BBI on grounds that the Head of State can’t use the popular initiative option to change the Constitution.

In their submissions, they said Kenyatta can shed the President tag, and adopt a mwananchi one as he, just like other Kenyans, has a right to propose changes to the supreme law.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has confirmed that elections will be conducted on August 9 next year.

This now raises queries on the fate of the referendum.

Last month, the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) secretariat said the electoral agency should prepare for a possible referendum in the event that the Court of Appeal rules in favour of the process.

BBI secretariat co-chair Junet Mohammed said they do not expect excuses of strict timelines by the commission.