US Gov’t Hails Truce Between President Ruto and Raila

The United States government has welcomed the truce between President Ruto and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga.  

On Monday, US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman hailed the move by the two leaders to pursue a bipartisan approach to resolve their differences and urged all parties to work together for the success of the process.

“We welcome the agreement by President Ruto and former PM Raila Odinga to establish a bipartisan process to find solutions that benefit all Kenyans. We commend both leaders for their commitment to peaceful dialogue, and call on all parties to support this process,” Whitman said in a tweet.

On Sunday, President Ruto agreed to engage Odinga on the issues the opposition has raised, including the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) through a bipartisan approach in Parliament.

“I have carefully listened to the issues raised by my friend Raila Odinga. In times like this, it is not about who is right or who is wrong. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak but it is also what it takes to sit down and listen,” Ruto said.

“When we engage in a bipartisan approach it is not a game of numbers it is a game of reason and how we put our arguments in a manner that carries not one side but all sides that is the essence of a bipartisan approach.”

As a result, Odinga called off the anti-government protests to pave way for the bipartisan process.

“Mr Ruto has asked me and Azimio to enter into a constitutional open-ended and biding dialogue with his government to find a resolution to the issues that we in Azimio have raised over the last year’s elections and key governance and cost of living issues facing our country,” Odinga said.

“We are ready to engage; we will engage without any kind of coercion in whatever way. This process could start as early as tomorrow. In accepting the call for dialogue, we ask that all arrests and prosecutions related to our demonstrations be stopped with immediate effect.”