We have an election to WIN! – Raila reacts after Supreme Court ruling on BBI
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga has spoken after the Supreme Court of Kenya invalidated a plan to make fundamental changes to the constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
Odinga in his statement said discussions are ongoing to determine the course of action for the BBI proponents but insisted that, for now, his focus is to win the upcoming August polls.
"We will not stop deliberations on the way forward that will decide on a future course of action that protects the interests of all those who voted to see the amendments come to light. For now, we have an election to WIN!," he tweeted.
He made the remarks hours after a seven-judge bench sitting at the highest court in the country ruled that the bid to change the constitution through BBI was unconstitutional and did not follow due process.
In their ruling, the judges held that President Uhuru Kenyatta who was advancing the constitutional reforms had no right to initiate the constitutional changes through a popular initiative.
They upheld that the popular initiative is a reserve of the common citizenry and not holders of the offices in the executive or legislature.
A majority of the judges, in their final ruling, decreed that the basic structure doctrine of the constitution is not applicable in the country.
