Editor's Review

ODM Leader Raila Odinga has ruled out the possibility of filing an appeal at the Supreme Court, should the Court of Appeal reject the BBI petition before it.

ODM Leader Raila Odinga has ruled out the possibility of filing an appeal at the Supreme Court, should the Court of Appeal reject the BBI petition before it.

Speaking during an interview with radio Nam Lolwe on Wednesday, Odinga noted that if the court rejects the BBI appeal, the handshake team will put BBI on hold and focus on the 2022 General Election.

He further noted that the BBI Bill will be revisited once the team forms the next government after 2022 elections.

“If they stop BBI, we shall leave it at that and start preparing for elections…We shall bring it back in the new government. We don't want to waste time going to the Supreme Court,” he said.

Earlier on, the former Premier had indicated that he will accept the outcome of the court regardless of the side it favors.

"We will wait and respect the Court's decision concerning the BBI. If they see it fit good, if they see it otherwise, good, but nobody can stop reggae," he said on Tuesday in Nakuru County during a brief address with locals.


Raila Odinga and other leaders in Nakuru on Tuesday August 17, 2021. [Photo: Courtesy]

The Court of Appeal is expected to deliver its ruling on the BBI Appeal on Friday August 20, 2021.

In a communication issued earlier this week, the Court of Appeal informed parties in the BBI appeal that the seven judges will read the judgment in open court on Friday.

In the ruling, the Court of Appeal is expected to give a direction on whether a ruling by the High Court on the matter has been upheld or not.

In May, a 5-judge bench of the High Court delivered a ruling declaring BBI as an irregular, illegal and unconstitutional process.

Judges Prof Joel Ngugi, George Odunga, Jairus Ngaah, Teresia Matheka, and Chacha Mwita ruled that President Uhuru Kenyatta lacks powers to initiate a popular initiative as was done in the BBI process.