ODM leader Raila Amolo Odinga has dismissed speculations that he wants to use the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to rise to power after the retirement of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In an exclusive interview with Nation on the sidelines of the Kusi Ideas Festival in Kigali, Rwanda on Monday, Raila said that he has no selfish interests at the back of his mind after he threw weight behind the report.
The opposition leader has asked his rivals to leave the succession talk out of the BBI implementation debate. He has affirmed that he is only backing the report because of his desire for a united nation.
The Former Prime Minister alluded that what parliament can correct can also be done by the people of this nation through the referendum if a consensus for the same is reached.
“We need to understand that power is vested on the people. What Parliament can change, can also be done directly by a majority of the people. In the BBI report, there are proposals altering the structure of the Constitution and once a consensus has been agreed on the proposals and passed, then it will require a referendum,” Mr. Odinga said.
The African Union Special envoy called upon other leaders from all the country to support President Kenyatta as he seeks to deliver on the promises he made before he was elected into power, adding that the report is also not aimed to keep Uhuru in power longer.
"I also need to be clear, the BBI is not intended to propel myself or President Kenyatta to power in 2022,” Mr. Odinga added.
The Luo political kingpin also said that he is not power-hungry, adding that the will of the Kenya people is paramount than anything else. The opposition leader has been rooting for a referendum before the implementation of the BBI.
His stand has pitted him against Deputy President William Ruto. Ruto has insisted that parliament and other levels of government are in a good position to implement the report. The second in command later changed his tune as far as the report is concerned and now wants it implemented faster.