Revealed! Ruto and Raila were in secret talks before the truce
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Ruto and Raila were in secret talks through an intermediary before the truce to call off demonstrations
Ruto and Raila were in secret talks through an intermediary before the truce to call off demonstrations.
President William Ruto and Azimio One Kenya leader Raila Odinga kept secret their talks to end the twice-weekly protests that had started hitting the economy and jeopardized lives and property.
After being cautioned to be mindful of vested interests from their respective political groupings, the two played their cards close to their chests, keeping specifics of their discussions a secret even from their closest allies.
According to a publication by the People Daily, Ruto and Raila never met in person, but only engaged through a senior official in the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) who acted as an intermediary and who relayed messages from one party to the other.
Other sources claimed that the President rejected a request from religious leaders for a physical meeting.
In the absence of direct talks, the senior official was engaged to act as a go-between relaying the two leaders’ respective positions.
So secretive were the negotiations that only three people on President Ruto’s side were aware of the developments; Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, his Transport counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen and Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot.
On Raila’s side, only his 2022 presidential campaign running mate, Martha Karua, and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka were looped in.
Former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, Roots Party leader George Wajackoya and the rest of the Azimio leadership was in the dark over the goings on until the last minute.
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“The stakes were high and we told the two leaders that they would be held responsible should the country burn, and therefore they had to take up the initiative,” Mombasa Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva, who also chairs the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and was part of the initiative said.
The clerics approached the two leaders directly after they realized that the talks were being frustrated by hardliners in the respective corners.
As a result, the negotiators asked the two leaders to leave out their allies considered to have taken hard-line positions.
However, Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wah, on Monday, April 4, refuted reports that President William Ruto secretly met former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in a deal that saw the latter call off anti-government protests.
According to the National Assembly leader of the majority, Ruto, also never called Raila via the phone, prior to the truce.
“I can confirm that Ruto has not met with Raila Odinga. He has not even spoken with Raila, leave alone the handshake,” he claimed, in what analysts argued may be Ichung’wah’s move to stay entrenched in the precincts of power and assure Ruto of his loyalty.
Also read,
Who brokered the deal between President Ruto and Raila Odinga
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