Ruto Trolls Raila's Kofi Annan-Like Proposal, Sufuria On Kioni's Head

President William Ruto on Thursday, April 6 reacted to Azimio leader Raila Odinga's push for the revival of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act of 2008 led by Kofi Annan.

While addressing residents during a roadside gathering in Nyandarua County, the Head of State read 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.

While backing up a statement by his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party issued on Tuesday, April 4, Ruto advised the opposition to rely on the bipartisan parliamentary approach to address their demands, including the cost of living.

Raila Odinga shaking the late former President Mwai Kibaki in the presence of Kofi Annan in 2008. /THE NEW HUMANITARIAN

"I know many of you are saying that Raila wants a handshake. Let me ask you, even if you intimidate me, do I look like a person who wants a handshake? All I just told him is to stop destroying property and hurting people.

"If you want talks, take them to Parliament, and the server that you said that you wanted open, involve the Parliament," he stated.

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 went on.

UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala had accused the former Prime Minister of using the weekly demonstrations as a push for the lowering of the cost of living to hide his selfish gain and seemingly advocating for a power-sharing model.

Malala believed that Raila is trying to interfere with the bipartisan parliamentary process as suggested by President Ruto to gain entry into the government through sketchy means.

The former Kakamega Senator further urged Raila to accept that there is a legitimate government in place that is delivering the promises made to the people of Kenya during the campaign period prior to the elections.

"It is in this regard that we call upon Hon. Raila Odinga to recognize that there is a legitimate government in Kenya delivering the promises made to the electorate and implementing its pre-election agenda. He should not mistake the President's Olive branch in this Holy Month as a sign of cowardice," he went on.

He further argued that Raila wanted a piece of the nation, a power-sharing formula or Nusu Mkate from the onset. 

Meanwhile, in the same address to Nyandarua residents, Ruto mocked Jubilee Secretary-General, Jeremiah Kioni who took his viral sufuria antics a notch higher when a photo captured him wearing a sufuria on his head like a hat during the Nairobi protests on Monday, March 20.

"They are wearing sufurias on their heads so that the cost of living goes down, have you ever seen a whole man do that? Reducing the cost of living will involve us giving you seeds and fertilizer so that farmers can grow food to reduce the cost of living.

"They are telling us that if you put on a sufuria on your head and stage demonstrations, the cost of unga will go down. Isn't that foolishness? I'm telling them to return those sufurias to the women and to stop embarrassing us," he urged.