Editor's Review

  • Siaya Senator James Orengo has said all is not over for the push to amend the Constitution, even after the Court of Appeal nullified the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill.

Siaya Senator James Orengo has said all is not over for the push to amend the Constitution, even after the Court of Appeal nullified the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill.

Reacting to the Court of Appeal ruling issued on Friday, the Senior Counsel said proponents of the BBI Bill still have three options they can use to push for the amendment of the Constitution.

According to Orengo, the first option involves filing an appeal at the Supreme Court. He, however, noted that this is in doubt since his Party Leader Raila Odinga had contrary views on the same.

“The result of this appeal opens up other options. We can either go the Supreme Court, but you know one of our principles has said that we may not necessarily take that route,” he said.

Senator James Orengo. [Photo: Courtesy]

Other than going to the Supreme Court, Orengo said Parliament is also an option, where they can use the legislative process to ensure proposals of the BBI Bill are passed into law.

“We can go to Parliament… In fact, in the comments they made, they said Junet Mohammed being one of the promoters could have taken the Parliamentary process,” Orengo divulged.

Lastly, Orengo noted that they can go to the people and consult on the best way forward, arguing that power belongs to the people of Kenya.

“Finally, we can go to the people. Most of these major constitutional changes have gone through the people… So I think we’ll still go back to the people, have a conversation and at the end come up with the best way out,” he said.