Raila Suggests 2008-Like Deal In New Offer To Ruto

Azimio la Umoja coalition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday, April 4, responded to the agreement with the Kenya-Kwanza administration that sought the use of a Parliamentary process to address their concerns.

Speaking to the media from Karen, Nairobi, the former Prime Minister expressed that the process may not serve the purpose intended by the coalition and instead suggested a conversation at the national level that resembled the 2008 agreement under the National Accord.

He noted that the purely Parliamentary process would not achieve the bi-partisan agreement arrived at by the two parties, even though Azimio already formulated a committee constituting of 14 members who would make the decision and take it to Parliament for approval.

He had seemingly pushed for changes in the parliamentary process the two teams had earlier agreed upon. 

"We want this process to be akin to the process that Kofi Annan led. We want it to be a people-driven process," the ODM party leader added, seemingly advocating for a power-sharing model. 

"A purely parliamentary process will not serve the intended purpose on the issues we raised. Our suggestion is to have a conversation at the national level through a process akin to the 2008 National Accord."

Raila also demanded that the government clears or waives all medical bills for persons who were allegedly injured by the police during the opposition's recent demonstrations, including journalists.

He also asked the government to shoulder funeral expenses for those who lost their lives in the two-week protests.

He also asserted that the coalition’s core issues on the table remain and must be addressed even though he clarified that he did not meet President William Ruto in person to strike a truce. According to him, it was representatives from his party Azimio la Umoja Coalition party and Ruto’s  Kenya Kwanza who met.

Raila further threatened to return to mass action should the government renege on the deal to immediately form the bipartisan parliamentary committee.

"There will be no handshake, but an engagement in Parliament. Whatever can be resolved will be resolved. We have a government and opposition. We don’t want democracy to be undermined," he added, raising more speculation on the agreement and the approach that will be taken.

"We have never talked about a handshake. That is a language coming from the other side. I don’t even want to shake Gachagua's hand," he explained.

Interestingly, President Ruto moments ago also turned down any push for a handshake, telling journalists during his state visit to Rwanda that the two parties will handle the dialogue in line with the Constitution.