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Key partners in the Kenya Kwanza administration have objected to talks between President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The bigwigs who were instrumental in President Ruto’s presidential victory in the last elections warned that dialogue with the opposition would derail the Kenya Kwanza agenda.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi termed proposed talks with the opposition a waste of time since Raila is yet to recognise Ruto as president.
“Meeting strange people in strange places will not help in lowering the cost of living for Kenyans but delivering on the plan will,” said Wetang’ula on Sunday.
The former Bungoma senator spoke during a Sunday church service in Kwale and which was attended by the President.
On his part, Kingi said the talks would “derail the government agenda”.
“Even if Raila and Ruto hold talks, that will not reduce the cost of living. The only way to reduce the high cost of living is to allow the president time to implement his manifesto,” said Kingi.
“Because they know that if the President implements his manifesto the cost of living will come down, they do not want to give him enough time.”
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said Raila was “making issues in Kenya sound so international yet we don’t have a problem.”
“Raila is just internationalising his electoral loss. Kenya is not in a crisis like Sudan,” he said at the same church service.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah said the talks will focus on the issues that have been framed.
This is as he affirmed the government’s commitment to restoring peace.
”With the guidance of the leaders of the two coalitions, we shall embark on dialogue to solve the five issues, that is not to say that the cost of living is not an issue to the people of Kenya.”
The president has confirmed he engaged the opposition leader and “we agreed that no leader past, present, or future will ever use violence to harm Kenyans.”
“As a Head of State, I am obligated to ensure that all Kenyans are guaranteed a life without violence,” he said.
There were reports that Ruto met Raila last Friday in the presence of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in Mombasa. BY THE STAR