The country’s top political leaders on Monday exchanged barbs during the unveiling of the Building Bridges Initiative report at the Bomas of Kenya.
While all the leaders, including Deputy President (DP) William Ruto, welcomed the BBI report, salvos were still fired.
As DP Ruto cast doubt on several of the proposals, some of the delegates booed him as he responded to criticism leveled against him for dishing out wheelbarrows to unemployed youth across the country.
Trade unionist Francis Atwoli is the one who set the stage rolling after calling out Ruto for endearing himself to the youth by dishing out old technology to solve 21st-century problems.
Atwoli, who did not mince his words, said the country needs smart and digital technology to create jobs for the millions of unemployed youth.
The trade unionist found a friend in the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who hit out at Ruto for early campaigns, saying the Jubilee government needs to focus on its Big 4 Agenda.
“We don’t want to talk about 2022 now. We are talking about the Kenya of today. The Jubilee government and their leaders have their four-point agenda. Wamalize hiyo kwanza. Siwako pair? Wewe umekua na bibi mmezaa mtoto alafu amekua kichaa sasa wewe unasema huyu si mtoto wangu,” said the Orange Democratic Movement leader.
When it came to Ruto’s turn to speak, the DP faulted some of the proposals saying they won’t solve the winner-take-all problem purported to be the main problem facing the country.
Ruto said that he was not convinced that the creation of new positions for a prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Opposition leader would end political turmoil experienced every five years.
He also took a jab at the proposal to have a Judiciary ombudsman appointed by the Executive, warning that it threatens to plunge the country into a dark era when judges were exposed to intimidation.
However, President Uhuru Kenyatta also faulted Ruto, saying that he had been kept abreast of the constitutional amendment initiative.
The Head of State called on leaders to engage in a civilized debate, saying the goal is to improve the proposals with better ones.
