The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has praised President Uhuru Kenyatta for focusing on the ‘handshake’ and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in Jubilee Party’s Sagana Lodge meeting.
The Raila-led party said President Kenyatta showed true commitment to their bid to unite the country by insisting that BBI is not about 2022 General Elections.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta and his brother Raila Odinga have said it before and the President said it again in Sagana; the handshake and the BBI are never about 2022 and any individual leader’s presidential ambitions,” said ODM in a statement released on Sunday.
The Sagana meeting was called to address grievances by Mt Kenya leaders touching on infrastructure as well as clarity on his relationship with Raila.
The Mt Kenya leaders also wanted the President to give the region political direction as he prepares to exit in 2022.
During the closed-door meeting, attended by hundreds of leaders, the President endorsed the handshake and warned those against the BBI.
“On behalf of the Orange Democratic Movement and all Kenyans who are keen to see a united country at peace with itself, I wish to thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for remaining focused on the Handshake and BBI, which are fundamental instruments in the effort to remake the Kenyan nation,” said ODM.
Raila’s party said it was particularly pleased with Mr Kenyatta’s comments on the just-ended Kibra by-election.
“We also thank President Kenyatta for seeing the recent Kibra by election for what we in ODM thought it was: a strong indication that with unity and interest of the country at heart, a peaceful election is possible, not only in Kibra but in any part of the great Republic of Kenya,” said ODM in the statement authored by National Assembly’s Minority Leader.
“We join the president in thanking the people of Kibra for the significant role they played in ensuring that the elections were peaceful. With that, the people of Kibra won their place in history for taking a leading role in the remaking of the Kenyan nation. Everyone including the president took note, and history will surely record it that when this country decided to mend its ways, with Uhuru Kenyatta and Rt. Hon Raila Odinga providing leadership, Kibra acted affirmatively thereby making it clear that no part of this country is too volatile to know peace.”
