BBI will take the country back to Moi’s era - Ruto

 

Deputy President William Ruto has said the attempt by the BBI to amend the Constitution through the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020 will take the country back to the late President Moi’s era.

Ruto added that the constitution can only be changed through the legal processes that have been set.

“We came from a hybrid system where MPs were also ministers and we argued that it was an incestuous system, that it made accountability difficult. And now, BBI is actually taking us back to where Moi left the Constitution.”

He made his remarks on Thursday night during an interview on KTN NEWS.

Echoing the High Court’s ruling when it nullified the entire BBI process, the DP said that it is unfortunate to use power to push for amendments.

“As things stand now, BBI is illegal, unconstitutional, it is null and void to the extent that court has said. We must not set a precedence that you can change the constitution using unconstitutional and unlawful means. That is dangerous,” Ruto said.

He added that;

“It cannot be that you can change the constitution the way you want, in the matter that you want to the extent in which you want because you have power, you have influence and you can use a mechanism…you will have set a very dangerous president that the next person with power, with influence and money, can come and change the constitution…leading to anarchy.”

He added that BBI was seeking to change the constitution in a substantial manner and that the country can only remain a sane, democratic country by following the court's orders.

“We must be careful, that the constitution is not a textbook, an essay.”

Regarding the rejection of six judges by the president, Ruto said that all names that had been submitted to the president should have been appointed.

“The former Chief Justice David Maraga and Willy Mutunga have said clearly that the right thing that should have happened is for all judges to be appointed and then subsequently if there are integral issues on a certain judge, the normal process would have been followed.”    BY THE STAR