By THEDISPATCH.DIGITAL REPORTER
ODM party Leader appeared to retreat on his commitment yesterday to join a national dialogue framework with the government of William Ruto after meeting some youthful leaders at his Nairobi office on Wednesday afternoon.
Taking to his X social media handle, Raila said, “Nimeambiwa na hawa viongozi kwamba mumesema hamtaki handshake. Ujumbe umefika.” (I’ve been advised by these leaders that you don’t not want handshake. The message is home.”)
Separately, Wiper Part Leader Kalonzo Musyoka announced that his party had declined the invitation to talks and wanted immediate action to arrest the issues Gen Z had complained of. “At @TheWiperParty NEC earlier today, it was clear that Kenyans want ACTION NOT DIALOGUE. I’ll tell @RailaOdinga the same when we meet as Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party. We cannot be seen to be sanitizing this Ruto regime.”
Raila’s announcement that his party would embrace dialogue with the Ruto administration had caused panic among Kenyans that the sacrifice of the Gen Zs who had protested against the corruption in government, unemployment and decadent opulence of its members would return once Raila helped to sanitize it and bring normalcy.
But his retreat could put on hold the expected announcement of a new Government of National Unity, which was expected to give Ruto a new lease of life and allow him to resume normal political activities. At the moment, Ruto is in withdrawal mode and has hardly been seen in public, and has been less verbose with his statements, restricting himself to making assurances and refraining from taunting his political opponents. Ruto’s pomposity has also been markedly reduced as he cogitates on the effects the protests have had on his government especially in the face of withdrawal of supposedly easy financing from the IMF and World Bank but which come with debilitating conditions that make life difficult for citizens and government enslaved to the lenders.
Reacting to the announcement by Raila, Ken Onyango, an accountant at a Mombasa Road plastics factory said, “the people of Kenya have won. Ruto will not use Baba to clean his image and continue oppressing Kenyans. We’re draining the swamp with all its corruption.”
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