Raila rallies youth to own BBI as signature collection begins

ODM leader Raila Odinga has rallied youth to own the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) process as he launched a lobby to spearhead grassroots campaigns. 

Raila (pictured) unveiled Young Turks on BBI ahead of signature collection set to officially kick off today.

The lobby is expected to popularise the unity deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the ODM leader all the way to the planned referendum.

Addressing youth drawn from the 47 counties in a zoom meeting on Monday night, Raila urged them to be at the fore front in ensuring the envisioned changes are realised.

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“I am pleading with our youth to see the vision of BBI and associate with it,” he said.

“We are doing this so that the next generation will have a united country. It is not about 2022 elections; because the elections will come and go,” added Raila.

The ODM leader defended the push to amend the 2010 Constitution saying this was key to address challenges facing the people. “We have the 2010 Constitution; but things are not working. It is on this basis that we came up with the nine-point agenda in the BBI,” said Raila.

Education CAS Zack Kinuthia and Jaoko Oburu are the national coordinators of the lobby.

The group has two coordinators in each of the 47 counties to spearhead the BBI popularisation drive while there will be six coordinators in each of the 290 constituencies. Each ward will have six coordinators.  

Mr Kinuthia disclosed that members will volunteer in the signature collection drive.

“We have since divided the country into 16 regions – each of the former eight provinces divided into two. In the counties, we have a male and female coordinator,” he said.

Governors have been tasked to lead county coordinating committees while MPs and party officials will spearhead the process in constituencies.

Party officials and MCAs will drive signature collection at the ward level.