The Building Bridges Initiative, which was meant to unite Kenyans, has left bigger divisions during its first birthday in Kenya.
On Wednesday, invited guests at the Bomas of Kenya were objective on the BBI report until some loopholes emerged and the new bridge started collapsing.
Reports indicate that Ruto had been locked out of an indoor meeting held between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga on Wednesday morning before the launch kicked off.
When the BBI report was handed over to President Uhuru and Raila on Tuesday, a unified nation praised the initiative with different political camps endorsing the report.
Nonetheless, the unity did not last long as the major event was characterized by political divisions between Deputy President’s Tanga Tanga team and ODM affiliates.
According to DP Ruto’s allies and a section of members of the public, the organizers of the BBI’s big day were after humiliating the Tanga Tanga team.
The fact that Suna East’s Junet Mohamed, an ODM MP, was the Master of Ceremony at the event sparked a reaction on the objectivity of the event.
Ruto’s woes started when Junet was inviting Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, Kipchumba Murkomen, to the podium warning him against talking about Jubilee wrangles.
This comment left President Uhuru in laughter that was not pleasant to Ruto, who showed an angry look as he watched him laugh.
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen gets booed and shouted down while making his speech at the Bomas of Kenya. #BBIReport #BridgingTheDivide pic.twitter.com/8Is0xgnmPS
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) November 27, 2019
After the unwelcomed laughter, Murkomen took to the stage where he faulted the organization of the event saying that those with different opinions were being barred from speaking.
“Your Excellency I must point out that there are very many things that are wrong here, even how Junet is running this program is incorrect,” said Murkomen.
Murkomen was booed by the attendants of the event where it took the intervention of the BBI Taskforce Chairman, Senator Yusuf Haji for him to be heard.
Later on, Ruto’s close ally and ‘blogger’, Denis Itumbi, was unceremoniously dragged out of the presidential dais by security personnel as he sneaked in for a picture.
Embarrassing moment for Dennis Itumbi after he was chased away from podium during the BBI launch. #BridgingTheDivide #BBIReport pic.twitter.com/8BkPIo5yPZ
— Daily Nation (@dailynation) November 27, 2019
A section of citizens also termed the event an avenue for attacking the deputy president based on the happenings.
Give Senator Kipchumba Murkomen the man of the moment award. The spoken intention of #BBIReport is to have Kenyans engage candidly.
Hidden intention is target William Ruto and finish him politically. We must engage openly.
Uhuru and Raila are just fooling Kenyans.
— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) November 27, 2019
Some citizens further claimed that the event was choreographed with malice towards some political teams.
Whoever planned the BBI program at Bomas had a malicious agenda. If you look at the people being invited to speak they are mainly from the so-called Kiekeweke section. Some speakers could not even acknowledge the presence of DP Ruto. And then the issue of Kalonzo. Forgotten?
— Edward Kisiang'ani (@ekisiangani) November 27, 2019