This archive report was first published on 8 July 2021.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga at Kisumu International Airport on May 30, 2021.
ODM leader Raila Odinga has said they will respect the decision of the court on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). Speaking on Radio Citizen on Thursday morning, Raila emphasized that he and President Uhuru Kenyatta will not stand in the way of democracy that they have fought for.
"When the lower court declared the BBI process illegal, we respected their decision, but sought redress from the higher court. Our teams presented our case and we were well defended, I believe the judges will be fair in their verdict and serve justice to the people of Kenya," Raila said.
On May 13, 2021, Raila and Uhuru suffered a big blow when the High Court annulled the BBI Constitutional change push, throwing the future of the initiative into uncertainty. A bench comprising Justices Joel Ngugi, George Odunga, Jairus Ngaah, Teresia Matheka, and Chacha Mwita upheld a consolidated case by eight petitioners that the Constitution bears essential features on its basic structure that cannot be amended.
According to Raila, the country has come a long way in the fight for democracy that is enjoyed today. He stated that if the verdict favors the handshake, it is still possible for the country to hold a Referendum before the 2022 General Election.
"I believe the reggae is still on, don't worry. We went on halftime because some players got injured, but we shall be back," he said.
On August 20, the Court of Appeal is set to issue a verdict on the BBI case. Appellate court President Daniel Musinga said the seven-judge-bench that heard the case had made careful deliberations as the four-day hearing came to a close last week.
