Uhuru using BBI to extend his stay in power, says Karua

 

President Kenyatta is using the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to extend his stay in power, Narc-Kenya Party leader Martha Karua has warned.

Speaking alongside members of the civil society under the Linda Katiba Initiative banner yesterday, Ms Karua accused the President of planning to ‘succeed himself’ in the 2022 General Election as she also tore into the Handshake.

The former Justice Minister claimed the pact between the President and ODM leader Raila Odinga was about a few individuals, had failed to unite the country and had become an avenue for mutilating the Constitution.

“Over time, the handshake has revealed itself, not as a bi-partisan initiative to unite Kenyans, but rather a Trojan horse for Uhuru to control the political destiny of Kenya. We will have those in power, mainly the President and his cronies, select for us or rather the President will succeed himself,” she said as Kenya marked the third anniversary of the Handshake.

By-elections chaos

Ms Karua alleged that the chaos in the Matungu, Kabuchai (parliamentary) and London ward by-elections was a pointer to the violence the State plans to use in next year’s elections “to rig its way in”.

The violence was aimed at creating regional kingpins who will rally communities along tribal lines, she added.

“We saw violence, which was deliberate to achieve an outcome that reinforces regional kingship. It is a warning shot to all of us that if we stand silent and do nothing, we will not have elections as we know them in 2022,” she noted.

Overthrow Constitution

Ms Karua said the regional kingship was being confined to the five major tribes while isolating the rest of the country, contrary to the message that the BBI was aimed at curing the winner-takes-all politics.

“It means the big boys from the five tribes will eat on behalf of their tribes while everybody else from the other tribes watches them helplessly. The message is, we are not helpless. Linda Katiba is a citizens’ initiative to resist the overthrow of the Constitution,” she said.

Ms Karua also accused the President of using State machinery and his unity pact with Mr Odinga to intimidate independent institutions like the Judiciary, and extend the same to the Constitution.

“President Kenyatta has never hidden his disdain for the Constitution, and his aversion for the constraints that it imposes on his exercise for power. Time after time, his administration has passed unconstitutional laws and policy directives that have been struck down by the courts,” she said. BY DAILY NATION