Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said that he and President William Ruto are ready to meet with opposition leader Raila Odinga. However, Gachagua has said that the only discussion they will have with Raila is how he will leave the political arena when he retires.
Gachagua, who is in Mombasa to launch 500 Kenyan seafarers to join international shipping companies, said that Raila has been oppressing the people of Kenya. “Raila has not been doing justice to the people of Kenya, and we want to invite you to a meeting with President William Ruto to discuss your retirement from Kenyan politics,” said Gachagua.
He said that Raila, for many years, has been forcing his way into government through the back door. He said that Raila sabotaged the Kanu government of late President Daniel Moi in 1982 and 1997. He troubled former President Mwai Kibaki in 2007 and later former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018.
“I want to say from Mombasa, there will be no sharing of power. Our constitution does not have a provision for Raila to join the government through the back door,” he said.
He said that the only way to come to power is through the vote, adding that Kenyans voted in the August 9 general election. The deputy president said that they have been asked by the international community and the clergy to involve Raila in the talks. However, he insisted that the talks would not be about giving Raila a position in the government.
Gachagua said that despite the Coast region voting for Raila in large numbers in the last three general elections, residents have refused to go on the streets to protest. “The people of the coast, despite voting for Raila, have refused to follow his bad behavior,” said the DP.
Raila on Thursday led protests in various streets in Nairobi. Accompanied by other leaders including Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, and George Wajackoya, they maintained that the protest will continue until the government fulfills their demands.
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya wants the government to address the rising cost of living, open the IEBC servers, and stop the ongoing exercise of appointing IEBC commission commissioners.