Let us not look back! Mbadi applauds National Assembly for passing the BBI Bill

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party Chairman John Mbadi has expressed gratitude to members of the National Assembly for passing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) driven Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill 2020.

Mbadi, who is also the National Assembly Minority Leader, thanked the Members of Parliament for what he termed heeding to a clarion call by the people as their representatives in the House.

He thanked the leaders of both the minority and majority led by Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya “ for their overwhelming support and purvey of unity of purpose and commitment to the course.”

“Our past socio, political and economic circumstances necessitated a need for a countrywide driven dialogue and the voices of the people were captured in the BBI document,” Mbadi said in a statement to newsrooms on Friday.

“Yesterday (Thursday), Parliament heeded to the clarion call as the representatives of the people and passed the BBI bill. In my capacity as the Minority leader in the National Assembly, I would wish to thank the Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, his deputy Eseli Simiyu and my deputy Minority leader Robert Mbui for rallying the minority side to deliver over 2/3rds of the votes which is no mean feat given how contentious the bill has been.”

The Suba South MP further applauded BBI co-principals, his party leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, for their leadership and guidance so far in the quest to amend the constitution.

“Through us as lawmakers, Kenyans not only entrust their sovereignty with us but they also dare have a dalliance with hope; and we indulge them in that hope through our legislative duty to pass laws and bills that convey a better future for this and coming generation,” he stated.

“I appreciate President Uhuru Kenyatta and Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, my Party leader who selflessly elected to move the country from political Sodom; let us not look back, lest we perish and become a monument of infamy and derision to the world. Their guidance has been illuminating and impeccable.”

The National Assembly on Thursday night overwhelmingly passed the BBI Bill with 235 out of 320 MPs present during the Second Reading voting in favour of the bill while 83 voted against it and two others abstained.

During voting in the Third Reading, which occurred a few minutes to midnight, 224 MPs voted in support of the bill while 63 shot it down and two abstained.