BBI Referendum Should Not Cost More Than Sh5 Billion, Raila Says

ODM leader, Raila Odinga has weighed in on the budget for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) referendum.

Odinga, who spoke during an interview on Inooro FM on Thursday, insisted that the exercise cannot cost Sh14 billion as earlier projected by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

He lamented that the cost of an election in Kenya is one of the highest in the world, noting that the country spends an average of $7 (Sh770) on a single ballot, which should not be the case.

Odinga pointed out that exercise should not cost taxpayers more than Sh5 billion even as he dismissed Deputy President William Ruto’s calls to have a multiple-choice referendum held together with next year’s general elections.

“Right now Kenyans are voting 6 ballots…how can we now bring a 7th ballot which also has choices? It will be challenging to 40 percent of Kenyans who don’t even know how to read and write,” he stated.

Odinga commended Siaya for being the first county assembly to approve the BBI Constitutional Amendment Bill and exuded confidence that at least 24 counties will pass it before the end of February.

He further played down claims that President Kenyatta coerced MCAs to pass the Bill by promising them car grants.

“Nobody has said BBI has to pass by force…this is propaganda by some leaders who want to get into leadership with the current system of administration which may result in chaos. MCAs asked the president about the car grants and the president did it, he still could do it without BBI…even if he bribed them he cannot bribe Kenyans to pass it,” he said.

“We’re a democratic nation…those who are rejecting the BBI saying that the 2010 constitution has not been implemented have their right but what is making the 2010 Katiba not to be fully implementable is due to the heavy issues addressed in BBI …the Linda Katiba team is a faction of TangaTanga.”