Ruling leaves Uhuru weak, at the mercy of Raila

 

The BBI, as an offspring of the handshake between President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, offered a great political lifeline and enhanced public influence by the two leaders over the last three years.

Its dividends include harmonised political interests and agenda in Parliament and in the management of public sector affairs.

From this perspective, the ultimate death of BBI would mean the collapse of a common political front in Parliament and the political interests of ODM and the Jubilee wing headed by President Kenyatta.

The criticism of Jubilee and President Kenyatta will increase and his peace will be limited.

It can no more be emphasized that through the High Court judgement, the BBI and its offshoot, the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020, have immensely suffered a near-fatal blow and can only be feebly resurrected by the Court of Appeal or, later on, the Supreme Court perhaps.

Nonetheless as it is, President Kenyatta's influence on the choreography of his succession agenda is now on a steady decline.

The BBI has been deflated. In fact, the declaration that President Kenyatta has violated the law and the Constitution has made him so lame a political duck that he is literally staring at an impeachment should the handshake collapse at this moment.

To retain power he needs to put Raila Odinga on a short leash, so as not to give room to the mischief of an impeachment motion. The President's survival would lie on the strength of the handshake going forward.

Factually, the subsistence of the handshake is now hanging on a precarious line because if the BBI dies a natural death, there will be so little significance for Raila Odinga in continued partnership with Jubilee through President Kenyatta.

It will compel Raila to start new formations for his political survival, and create a surge across the country that would enable him to mount a final effort to contest the presidency in the 2022 General Election.

President Kenyatta is nearly politically bankrupt because his political bank balance is so small should the BBI die.

The BBI and President Kenyatta are now captives of the Judiciary.   BY THE STAR