US Senator behind handshake returns for Ruto-Raila talks
US Senator Chris Coons scheduled to meet Azimio leader Raila Odinga ahead of bipartisan talks
US Senator Chris Coons scheduled to meet Azimio leader Raila Odinga ahead of bipartisan talks.
The United States Senator Chris Coons, who brokered the handshake deal in 2018, is set to return to engage with the opposition.
Chris Coons, the Delaware Senator credited with convincing Raila and former President Uhuru Kenyatta to enter the gentleman’s agreement in March 2018, will meet Raila on Sunday, August 13, ahead of the bipartisan talks set to be held the following day.
The US Senator will be returning to Kenya for the third time since the 2022 General Elections. Coons met Raila and Uhuru separately in March this year and President Ruto on August 18, 2022.
However, it is unclear whether he will sit down with President Ruto in a separate meeting before he departs the country after this month’s meeting with Raila.
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Political analysts, nonetheless, opine that his presence amid the talks indicates a concerted effort from Western nations to exert pressure on both the government and the opposition, urging them to resolve their standoff.
Martin Andati, a government expert, explained that the interest, especially of the White House, is multifaceted and driven by strategic, economic, and geopolitical factors that strive for the country’s stability.
“Yes, the purpose is to ensure their interests are served politically, economically, and in a military capacity. Kenya is very strategic, as we have a lot of investment opportunities.”
“The West has a big interest and a lot is at stake in terms of bilateral trade opportunities so they would not want us to go down the route of Somalia and Sudan which is riddled with war,” political analyst, Martin Andati, he added.
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