Ndii Threatens To 'Buy' Raila In Response To Fresh Calls For Protests

David Ndii, Chairperson of President William Ruto's Council of Economic Advisors, on Saturday, April 8 hinted at wooing Azimio la Umoja Leader Raila Odinga into the President William Ruto-led government, despite advocating against a handshake deal between them.

Ndii was responding to an Azimio supporter who expressed his eagerness to return to the streets for the mass action protests upon Raila's command, almost a week after the former Prime Minister called them off to allow for bipartisan talks.

The supporter tweeted to him that the street protests were the only way to get the current regime's attention with regard to the issues facing Kenyans, among them the cost of living.

"Sisi kama jeshi la baba tunagoja aseme maadamano ni lini juu hio ndio kitu itafanya mskie maneno (Us as troops loyal to Raila are only waiting for his word and we would be back to the streets. It is only out of that the government would get serious)," the supporter wrote.

Raila Odinga addressing supporters in Kibra during the Azimio la Umoja demonstrations on March 27, 2023. /RAILA ODINGA

The renowned economist however rebutted him by informing him that the ODM boss could be easily lured into the government with deals that could see him abandon his supporters.

Ndii further noted that in the event the deal materialises, none of Raila's foot soldiers on the ground would benefit from it.

"Boss, we will just buy him with your money and you will get nothing," he said.

He further did not rule out the possibility of the Head of State considering a handshake with the opposition leader even though both politicians have been strongly against handshake deals on several occasions now.

According to Ndii, a handshake was possible, especially, considering Kenya's state of the economy and that Ruto's main concerns were a stable political environment and a thriving national economy that would benefit everyone in the chain.

"The first obligation of a government is survival and political stability. The more the dynasties foment destabilization the more we will have to spend on political capital. 

"If push comes to shove handshake is always an option. How much do you think that will cost?" he posed.

He also defended the government's wage bill regarding the appointment of 50 Cabinet Administrative Secretaries (CAS) after Kenyans questioned the government's move to increase the number from 22 in President (Rtd) Uhuru Kenyatta's regime.

"Retrench the 50 CAS. Not needed. These are gifts to political supporters. Rutos does not need them for re-election. They are only 50 votes. 

"(Prime CS Musalia) Mudavadi's wife does not need an office, (duties) that line ministries can take. Austerity savings does not mean expanding government," a concerned citizen, Francis Hunt, responded to Ndii. 

In Ruto's defence, Ndii claimed that the 50 CASs salaries and allowances did not constitute a significant part of the national wage bill. He was responding to Kenyans who had attributed the huge number of CASs to the salary crisis affecting several civil servants working in government institutions, including state broadcaster KBC.

President Ruto on Thursday, April 6 trolled Raila's push for the government to revisit the 2008 National Accord which birthed the 2010 Grand Coalition Government, reading malice in Raila's suggestion of seemingly advocating for a power-sharing model that was among the terms of the accord between Raila and the late former President Mwai Kibaki.

In an apparent change of tune, President Ruto added that it was Kenyans who had refuted plans of another handshake between him and Raila as well as plans to adopt the Annan negotiation style.

"They should stop disturbing us. I heard just the other day that they wanted negotiations similar to Kofi Annan that gave them nusu mkate (half a loaf). Will you people agree to another power-sharing agreement in this era?

"We are telling Mr Kitendawili that there is no handshake, no cooperation, no nusu mkate. What is there is the work of Kenyans in driving the country forward," he stated during a roadside gathering in Nyandarua County

Raila had argued that a bipartisan approach via Parliament would not address the key issues he raised, including lowering the cost of living, reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), opening IEBC servers and the resurrection of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).