Orange democratic party leader Raila Odinga has affirmed that the country will have a referendum before the 2022 General Election.
He brushed off claims that the country lacks money to hold a referendum shortly before the election.
He premised the lack of money to corruption that had made the electoral process in the country expensive.
“Different from other countries, a ballot paper costs cents, yet in Kenya billions of shillings are spent in the whole process.
“A referendum should not cost more than Sh2 billion. There is money to hold a referendum and we are going to teach (IEBC chairman Wafula) Chebukati how to do it if he does not know,” he said.
He added, “A referendum is a must and we shall do it before the next election”.
The opposition chief dismissed, speculation filled on social media that the BBI project had died.
He said the current Covid-19 pandemic had disrupted plans of officially receiving the report; While exuding hope that the country shall emerge healthy from the pandemic.
“BBI is still there and very active, we shall receive the report from the task force,” he said.
He also assured Kenyans that the report is born from an all-inclusive process and the recommendations will be fully implemented
“I want to tell you that the reggae has not stopped but is on half-time. The players have been receiving massage and instructions from the coaches and we shall be back soon and nobody will stop us”, he said.
Oversight a collective responsibility
Odinga diffused claims that the handshake had weakened the opposition in the country.
“There is a wrong perception that ODM is the one that is supposed to be in the opposition to check on the government”.
He said under the old Constitution, it was solely upon the opposition party to critique the government.
“Our media is ill-informed about ODM’s mandate. Before the new constitution, we had a high breed of a parliamentary and presidential system where opposition was to check on the government. In the current presidential system where we have the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary things are different,” he said.
Odinga made it clear that it’s the role of Parliament to oversight the government alongside collectively, with both minority and majority.
Deep state politics
The ODM leader distanced himself from deep state knowledge, he said doesn’t hold any position in government and ODM is not in government.
‘’As I stand here am not in government and ODM is not in government, the country has a president and you know his name and a deputy and you know his name, they should be well aware of the deep state”, Raila replied.
He was speaking during the swearing in of the party National Elections Board at Chungwa house
