We will postpone 2022 elections – Atwoli says BBI ‘reggae’ is on
Trade unionist Francis Atwoli has declared that the 2022 polls will be postponed if the courts don't give a favorable judgment on the Building Bridges Initiative.
"If anything happens and they don't give us a ruling, we will still move to the supreme court. If we don't get it then we will appeal through our Parliamentarians to extend the election even by one year," Atwoli said.
The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) boss was addressing journalists on Thursday, June 17 in Nakuru.
Atwoli claimed the interest of workers and Kenyans at large are the main reason behind the decision to allegedly postpone next year’s polls.
"We want peace in this country as workers, after every five years the recipients of the problems are workers. Our children are maimed.
"Our children are killed. Those people who do seasonal or casual or contractual employment when there are problems, they don't get work," Atwoli said.
The COTU Secretary General further stated, that the informal sector makes up the highest percentage of Kenyans who suffer when the elections are not peaceful.
"We have been dying every five years. It us workers who proposed to revisit our constitution to look into this matter," Atwoli said.
The trade unionist further claimed that the ruling by the High Court had nothing to do with BBI and was mainly centered on the office of the President.
"I know any Judge, even if it's a newly appointed judge or any judge in the court of appeal who is worth his salt and is free, independent in thinking qualified to make a determination will save the opportunity to BBI," Atwoli said.
In May, the High Court declared BBI unconstitutional sighting illegalities committed during drafting and formulation of the entire process which made the Building Bridges Initiative bill (BBI) null and avoid.
In the highly anticipated May13 ruling, a five-judge bench team presided over by Justice Joel Ngugi and comprising of George Odunga, Jairus Ngaah, Teresia Matheka and Chacha Mwita ruled in favor of eight petitioners who sought to bar the bill from proceeding to a referendum.
