Raila declines Ruto’s invite for talks
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Raila declines William Ruto's invite for talks questioning why he reached him via social media
Raila declines William Ruto’s invite for talks questioning why he reached him via social media.
On Wednesday, July 26, Azimio leader Raila Odinga rejected olive branch from President William Ruto, saying that the latter was insincere and dishonest.
Speaking in an Al Jazeera interview at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation, Raila questioned why Ruto chose social media over official methods to get in touch with him.
“The President is not being serious. If he wanted to meet with me he would not have sent an invite through social media.
“He knows my address and telephone number and everything. He is basically just playing games. That is like his public relations exercise,” the former Prime Minister remarked.
Despite being in the nation on the government’s request, Raila adamantly claimed that President William Ruto had thwarted Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu’s attempts to mediate between Azimio and Kenya Kwanza.
“I mentioned yesterday that two weeks ago, the President of Tanzania Suluhu Hassan, came here to Kenya at his invitation and she spent two days here wishing to bring us together,” he reiterated.
Raila revealed that after Suluhu arrived in Kenya, she was kept waiting by the Kenya Kwanza side, which subsequently led to her returning to Tanzania. Raila indicated Azimio was willing to engage in the talks.
“If he was serious in terms of negotiations, that was the time that we would have met and started this conversation,” he added.
Raila has intensified his criticism of Ruto’s purported willingness to engage in sincere discussions.
He questioned Ruto’s commitment to the process by dismissing the president’s decision to name representatives for the bipartisan parliamentary discussions as purely cosmetic.
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The Azimio leader further questioned why Ruto failed to pursue the bipartisan talks after Azimio withdrew from the discussions.
Raila suggested that the aim of the anti-government demonstrations was to rouse Ruto from his political slumber.
Raila’s comments came one day after Ruto, in a tweet, said he was willing to meet Raila to end the current political impasse that has caused tension in the country.
During the interview, Raila maintained he was not interested in getting a share of the government.
The opposition leader though indicated he was willing to partake in serious talks for betterment of the country.
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