NAIROBI, Kenya
A high-powered delegation has
been dispatched to Nairobi by the United Kingdom government in an attempt to
reconcile Kenya's Deputy President, William Ruto and his political
friend-turned fore former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga.Kenya's Deputy President, William Ruto (L) and former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga.
This comes at a time when
supporters of the two are fighting over claims that, immediately after the 2017
polls, Ruto had planned to work with Raila in an attempt to impeach his boss,
President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In a move that, if successful,
could interfere with the current political landscape and the August poll
arithmetic, where the two presidential aspirants are leading the main political
formations – Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja, the London delegation is reported
to have quietly jetted in the country last night and hopes to meet the two
before flying back.
The move comes just weeks
after both Ruto and Raila made separate tours of the UK where they pitched
strong cases for their respective presidential bids, in what observers viewed
as an attempt to demonstrate their global network.
While K24 Digital did
not immediately establish the end game for the planned reconciliation of the
two, reports indicate that after listening to their submissions during their tours,
Prime Minister Boris Johnson-led administration is reported to have developed
concerns over their hardline positions against each other.
Ruto has acrimoniously fallen
out with his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta who is deliberately working to
ensure that he does not succeed him, with the Head of State openly supporting
the former PM as his preferred presidential candidate.
The DP who is the head of
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party was the first to visit the UK for a
series of engagements for three days after a controversial tour in United
States of America (USA) and was accompanied by his wife Rachael Ruto and, among
other leaders, Amani National Congress boss Musalia Mudavadi, his Presidential
Campaign secretariat and Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok, Kirinyaga Governor
Anne Waiguru, Salim Mvurya and a host of MPs allied to him.
During his tour, the DP met
the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in London and gave an address at the
Commonwealth Secretariat and Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham
House, in London where he decried what he termed as a sorry state of government
system in the country, saying the opposition has rendered the current
administration ‘a mongrel of a government system’, adding that President Uhuru
Kenyatta has now become a ‘refugee’ in the opposition.
After his return, Raila also
flew to London for a five-day tour and was accompanied by former Gatanga MP
Peter Kenneth, Siaya Senator James Orengo, Governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa),
Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed.
Raila, who just like Ruto, was
received by Kenya’s High Commissioner to the UK Manoah Esipisu, met UK Minister
of Armed Forces James Heappey who also hosted the deputy president.
The Azimio la Umoja movement
candidate also addressed the international community at the Commonwealth
Secretariat and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House.
No comments:
Post a Comment