A section of those attending the official launch of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report on Monday heckled Deputy President William Ruto for his opposition to various sections of the document. 

Dr Ruto, during the launch at Bomas of Kenya, defiantly explained what he felt was wrong with the BBI report that made him oppose it.

As he went on, a section of the crowd felt he was disrespecting both President Uhuru Kenyatta and the event itself expressed their displeasure loudly.


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Some could be heard chanting "respect the president" but he soldiered on bravely with his points as Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga watched in shock behind the DP at the podium.

"On appointment of IEBC commissioners, my brother Raila Odinga is good at football. So, let me ask: How fair a league will it be where the referee is appointed by some teams. Unless you persuade me that we will end up with a fair game. I have my reservations." he said.


The undeterred Dr Ruto continued poking holes into the report as a section of the crowd booed led by Suba East MP Millie Odhiambo.

The principal deputy to Uhuru also asked how independent the police service will be if the police council is adopted as proposed in the BBI. 

"To recommend that we will have a police council chaired by a CS is a derogation of the independence of the police," Ruto opined amid jeers.

But he was cheered by some when said that the Senate Assembly should be promoted to become the upper House and not downgraded.


Dr Ruto intensely defended his “wheelbarrow” agenda from attacks by some of the earlier speakers him who termed it a '16th century tool.'

"How come in the 21st century, millions of citizens are still dependent on the wheelbarrows and mikokoteni? That is a discussion that involves millions of Kenyans," the DP posed attracting even louder booing.

He then ended his rant on the BBI report and invited his boss Uhuru to address those in attendance amid chants of "respect the president".

Many Kenyans believed Dr Ruto would not attend the Bomas launch after skipping an event in which Uhuru and Raila received copies of the BBI report in Kisii last week.