This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
On June 7, 2020, ODM leader Raila Odinga met with COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli at his Kajiado home, sparking speculation about the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
According to reports, Raila was accompanied by Senate Minority Leader James Orengo and National Assembly Minority Chief Whip Junet Mohamed. The meeting was private, but sources claim that the leaders held a wider discussion centered on the BBI.
“On the day Deputy President William Ruto ally and National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale was walking a tightrope, Raila retreated to Atwoli’s Kajiado home for a roast-meat chat, said to have focused on the BBI,” reads a report by the Standard.
The discussion on the BBI comes at a critical time, as the term for the members of its task force is set to expire. The BBI initiative was a product of the March 9, 2018 handshake deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the ODM leader.
Atwoli and Raila have denied any involvement in the woes facing Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang’ula, who has accused them of plotting his downfall.
