ODM party leader Raila Odinga has criticized Deputy President William Ruto for his early 2022 campaigns’ and his opposition towards the Building Bridges Initiative.
Speaking at the Kisii State Lodge on Wednesday during the handover of the BBI report, Raila said that those opposing it were not genuine.
The report was handed over to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila, in an event skipped by Ruto.
Instead, Ruto graced the burial of Huruma MCA Peter Chomba in Uasin Gishu County, who died from Covid-19 complications.
The opposition leader hit out at the Deputy President’s movement of empowering the common people by issuing them wheelbarrows and carts (mkokoteni).
“Someone would come and start saying we need to talk about the common man, poor man, mkokoteni, driver and so on…but you’ve been there all this time. You didn’t drop from heaven like an angel. You’ve been around,” Rail said.
“Is it the first time that you’ve discovered about mkokoteni people? The haves and haves not? If you’re really concerned, why give them wheelbarrows and not your helicopter?”
Raila said that they were able to get what is ailing Kenyans and what is needed to craft a way to address them.
He said the task of going around the country listening to people’s issues was not a walk in the park and he was puzzled as to why some individuals still opposed the move.
“Some people can stand and say it’s a waste of time and that we need to address issues of poverty affecting common Kenyans…how do you address them if you don’t know them?” Raila posed.
During the 57th Mashujaa Day celebrations at Gusii Stadium on October 20, Ruto said that the conversation about the BBI should be all-inclusive.
The President, who will officially launch the report next Monday at the Bomas of Kenya, said Kenyans should go through the report before making their final decision.