RAILA DISMISSES ALLEGATIONS OF A ‘HANDSHAKE’ WITH PRESIDENT RUTO

RAILA DISMISSES ALLEGATIONS OF A ‘HANDSHAKE’ WITH PRESIDENT RUTO

In a surprise turn of events, ODM party chief Raila Odinga now appears to back down from any possible political deal with President William Ruto as his coalition partners oppose the idea of a government of national unity.

 It threw a spanner into Ruto’s plan among them being Wiper Party chief Kalonzo Musyoka and other principals in the Azimio la Umoja outfit who are firmly opposed to taking part in any national dialogue that would legitimize Ruto’s administration.

Reports had indicated that Ruto had promised Raila key appointments in his government significant political appointment, which among others included seven Cabinet positions, 12 principal secretary positions, and several others in a bid to appease the former prime minister into his government.

This move, however, has sharp criticism from his own coalition, which forces him to rethink this strategy.

It is what Raila tweeted on Wednesday that crowned the confusion: “I have been told by these leaders that you don’t want a handshake. The message is home.” This retreat comes amidst growing public outcry over the possibility of Raila and Ruto collaborating, especially after a contentious election where Raila’s coalition contested the results.

The situation is similar to what happened in Kenya, especially following the 2005 referendum, where former President Mwai Kibaki had a unity government by co-opting members from the opposition into his cabinet.

 Many supporters of Raila have reacted to his willingness to make such concessions; they had hit social media protest against his response, as any deal for them with Ruto was a sellout of their mandate given to them at the ballot.

The national dialogue to happen next week could remake the government structure. There has been speculation that Ruto may be reaching out to establish a Government of National Unity, perhaps appointing ODM members to plum positions. Any power-sharing pact details are still tightly under wraps.

What deepened the political division in Kenya was Kalonzo Musyoka’s declaration that his party would not join Ruto’s national dialogue. He contended there was no way he was going to legitimize what he called a failed regime. Similarly, this was similarly echoed by Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa, who rejected any kind of overtures with Ruto’s Government.

On the contrary, ODM has defended the need for national dialogue to bail the country out of the current political crisis, with historical references to these unprecedented moments in the politics of Kenya: the Inter-Party Parliamentary Group in 1997, the post-election dialogue in 2008, and the 2017 handshake between Raila Odinga and former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The stakes are high in Kenya, with all this pressure on him for reconciliation with its coalition partners or entering into dialogue for a unity government with Ruto.