He Is Playing Games- Raila On Ruto Invite To Talks

Raila wondered why President Ruto was using social media channels to extend his invitation to him other than using formal channels.

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Jul 26, 2023 - 14:58 Updated: Jul 26, 2023 - 15:25
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He Is Playing Games- Raila On Ruto Invite To Talks
Raila Odinga speaking to the press flanked by top Azimio leaders at SKM Centre on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. /RAILA ODINGA

Azimio Leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday, July 26 raised an issue with President William Ruto's call for truce talks, saying that the Head of State is not being honest.

Speaking during an interview with Al Jazeera, Raila wondered why President Ruto was using social media channels to extend his invitation to him other than using formal channels.

"I think the President is not being serious. If he wanted to meet with me he would not invite me through social media. He knows my address, he knows my telephone number and everything. 

"He is basically just playing games, that is like a Public Relations (PR) exercise," he stated.

Side by side image of President William Ruto and Raila Odinga. /FILE

The ODM party leader reiterated that Ruto had blocked efforts by Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan to bring the two leaders for mediatory talks, even though it was Ruto's government who had invited her to Kenya.

"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 stated noting that Suluhu was intending to mediate between the two leaders.

"He rejected and refused to meet her...that was a big humiliation."

Raila further asserted that he was willing to engage in dialogue and had made this possible through his appointing of members to take part in the parliamentary bipartisan talks.

He claimed that the Head of State had backed away from the talks as soon as he noticed that the country was returning to peaceful affairs after the opposition called off the nationwide protests.

"I don't believe Mr Ruto is serious at all, he's a doublespeak...on one side when it suits him, he talks very nicely and says that I'm ready to talk at any time and the other time he and his people are saying that Mr Odinga and his group just want to have a handshake so that they can be able to share the cake," he went on.

"We have said that we don't want any kind of cake. He is trying to live in denial that we have a crisis in this country that requires serious approach and address."

President Ruto issued a public statement on Twitter to Raila, saying that he was ready to meet him one on one and hold talks at the latter's convenience. However, in the interview, Raila did not respond to a question on whether or not he would honour the meeting.

The government, through State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, dismissed Raila's claims of the nature of Suluhu's visit to Kenya, clarifying that Suluhu's visit to the country was not a State visit as the protocol was not observed regarding official visits by other world leaders to the country.

He explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have issued an official communication regarding Suluhu's official visit, which was not the case here, and that the Tanzanian Head of State may have been in Kenya just to enjoy a holiday.

Collage image of President William Ruto, Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Raila Odinga. /VIRALTEAKE

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