End of Kenya’s political stalemate in sight as top leaders meet

By Fauxile Kibet

NAIROBI: Kenya’s months long political turmoil could be coming to an end after President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga met Friday at the country’s capital Nairobi.

The meeting, which came to a surprise of many Kenyans comes after a series of heightened political tension in the country, which saw many Kenyans lose their lives.

A recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed that at least 37 people were killed in Nairobi between September and November 2017, during the second phase of Kenya’s presidential elections.

But while speaking during today’s meeting, the two leaders publicly reconciled and agreed to work together in uniting the country that has over the years been drawn apart by political and ethnic differences.

“As we plan ourselves for the future, the future can never be defined by elections but the prosperity and stability of Kenya and its people. Starting today, we will begin a process of bringing all Kenyans together, with the support of all leaders and the Kenyan citizens,” President Kenyatta said.

On his part, the opposition leader said that despite Kenya adopting a new constitution seven years ago, Kenya has failed to institute necessary reforms that would enable the country conform to the new law.

He noted that Kenya’s ethnic diversity has worked against the process of unifying the country and that time had come for leaders to overcome challenges brought about by diversity and unite the country.

“We have come together today to say that our diversity will not our nation. We refuse to be the leaders under whose watch Kenya becomes a failed state,” Raila Odinga said.

Mr Odinga has over the past months pushed for dialogue and electoral reforms as the key to resolving the political impasse between the government and the opposition.

Kenya’s main opposition party National Super Alliance (NASA) has maintained that it would not back down from its demands for electoral justice in Kenya.

International envoys have been pushing Mr. Odinga’s party to recognize the legitimacy of Mr. Kenyatta’s government which had dismissed calls by the opposition for dialogue.

In January, members of the European Union (EU) parliament urged the two top political leaders in Kenya to demonstrate leadership by engaging in talks so as to bring the country together.

Early February, Mr Odinga criticized United States Ambassador Robert Godec and 10 other envoys who were pushing him to recognize Mr. Kenyatta’s victory as legitimate asking them to “keep off” Kenyan affairs.

“The envoys have no moral authority to lecture Kenyans on democracy and rule of law after aiding electoral theft in the August polls. We know you are just interested in trade so you can loot the country and stash the resources in your own countries. Kenya is an independent country and we will solve our problems our own way,” Mr Odinga told the envoys.

Tillerson visit

Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga’s meeting coincides at a time when United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting the East African nation.

According to Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr. Monica Juma, Mr. Tillerson’s debut visit to Kenya will involve discussions on wildlife protection, the status of the African Union and “people-people” engagements.

The timing of President Kenyatta’s meeting with the top opposition leader however has raised eyebrows as the United States has been instrumental on calling on Kenya to embrace dialogue in resolving its political stalemate.

“We have a trajectory of democratic deepening that is unparalleled in the world. Kenya has played a trailblazing role in opening up of democratic spaces,” Dr. Juma said.