Opposition leader Raila Odinga has exuded confidence that his joint effort with President Uhuru Kenyatta to unite the country will succeed despite growing political squabbles.
He termed as unstoppable, the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) which he said seeks to heal ethnic and political divisions in the country. Raila’s remarks come just days after the President told off critics on the unity deal.
“There will be no turning back on the BBI that assures inclusion, cohesion, unity and respect for all Kenyans,” Uhuru vowed in his State of the Nation address last week.
In Awendo, Raila warned that politicians trying to scuttle the Handshake will fail miserably as Kenyans have realised the need to embrace unity for economic prosperity.
The ODM party leader said thorny issues will be addressed and the country will never witness ethnic differences again.
He said Kenyans are keen to ensure the peaceful political climate continues and will not allow anybody to claw back the gains of the Handshake.
He acknowledged that the push and pull between him and the President following the 2017 General Election had impacted negatively on the economy.
Speaking when he officiated the ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed medical campus in Awendo town on Thursday, Raila urged Kenyans to support the BBI taskforce charged with collecting Kenyans’ views to get rid of sticky matters that cause chaos during elections.
The former premier also castigated some politicians over invoking tribal incitement to save their tainted image for mistakes they committed individually.
On the war against corruption, he challenged those implicated to clear their names instead of blaming the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.