Search for a deal: Inside efforts to break William Ruto, Raila Odinga impasse

Opposition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday acknowledged high-level behind-the-scenes efforts to end the protests over the high cost of living and the row over the 2022 elections.

Mr Odinga revealed that an attempt by a neighbouring head of state to mediate over the dispute proved futile, even as he accused President William Ruto of “resisting” talks.

In an interview with the international press in Nairobi, Mr Odinga detailed how President William Ruto invited his Tanzania counterpart, Samia Suluhu, to broker a truce only to give her a wide berth when she arrived.

 “Let me say this, there have been attempts… the Tanzanian president came here two weeks ago at the invitation of President Ruto to mediate and he kept her waiting. Our side was available but the other side (Kenya Kwanza) was not available,” he stated while fielding questions from journalists attached to international media outlets.

He went on: “She slept for two nights and it was all in vain. Other people have also tried and right now, I know other people are trying and he (Ruto) is the one resisting.”

Anti-government protests

State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed declined to comment on the matter, as did Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua and Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei. The trio did not respond to Nation’s requests to have details of the visit.

Tanzanian authorities had not responded to Nation by the time of going to press.

But Nation established that President Suluhu, in the company of retired Tanzania president Jakaya Kikwete, jetted into the country on July 11, on the eve second wave of anti-government protests, via Wilson Airport.

“She stayed at a hotel outside of Nairobi on July 12 where she met Raila before flying out July 13 via Wilson airport after her attempts to meet President Ruto, who had invited her into the country for the talks, failed,” a source privy to President Suluhu’s coming into the country told Nation.

The source added: “It is clear that a sitting Head of State cannot visit a country without the knowledge of their host and we can only deduce that President Ruto developed cold feet for reasons that only the government can explain.”

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, a close ally of the President, however, poured cold water on Mr Odinga’s revelations.

“Raila can even say Jesus Christ came to see him and instructed him on anything. I never take anything Odinga says with any seriousness as he is a perpetual and habitual liar. If the President invites another President, they do so publicly and they come into the country as State guests,” said Mr Ichung’wah.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro on his part questioned how the dialogue with President Suluhu would reduce the high cost of living, which the opposition had pegged its protests on.

“The kind of double standards with maandamano anarchists is baffling. They say their protests is because of high cost of living and other fake tales. So, the so-called dialogue with President Suluhu was to lower the cost of Unga?” posed Mr Nyoro.

He, however, said that even of President Suluhu came into the country and wished for talks, “whether true or not, we are not going for any dialogue”.

The international community has also ramped up its efforts to broker a deal between the President and Mr Odinga.

Insiders told Nation of a plan to set up a reconciliation committee of six senior individuals drawn from the two sides.

 “It’s going to be three by three. The talks between the two opposing sides will be guided by a top diplomat,” disclosed an official aware of the deliberations.

A key security figure in the country is said to be the go-between of the diplomats and State House.

The envoys from Europe and the US plus officials from the United Nations had last week met with Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka at his Karen residence.

“The aim is to find how the country can move forward with minimal disruptions on the economy as well as prevent conflicts that could lead to loss of life,” a highly placed source familiar with the discussions so far told the Nation.

The Azimio la Umoja side has already settled on Mr Musyoka, former Cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa and an MP from Nyanza as part of their team.

However, an initial list from the Kenya Kwanza side, which had Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Mr Nyoro and Mr Ichung’wah, is said to have been rejected by both Azimio and the diplomats.

There are reports that Kenya Kwanza is now considering sending Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Speaker Moses Wetangula and one other person.

The efforts to reconcile the two political sides were triggered through a statement issued by the Western diplomats a week ago where they said they were ready to “support the parties in their efforts to find a constructive and peaceful solution”.

Since then, the Nation understands that there have been several meetings between the envoys and individuals from both sides. A top official in one of the security organs has been responsible for briefing State House on what the Opposition wants, on behalf of the envoys.

Mr Odinga’s address on Tuesday came amid pressure from the international community for the coalition to call off its protests and give dialogue a chance.

Azimio is said to have presented its demands to the diplomats — including “a quest to lower the cost of living, a halt to the unilateral reconstitution of IEBC, respect to multi-party democracy and audit of IEBC servers with a view to enhancing electoral justice in the country.”

 The Opposition also pushed for the international community to stop the regime from what it termed as brutalisation of innocent citizens exercising their rights to protest as enshrined in Article 37 of the Constitution.

Immediate action

Mr Odinga’s camp wants immediate action taken on police officers who used live ammunition on protesters. It wants the government to publicly sanction those officers and have them charged for the deaths witnessed during the protests.

Azimio also wants the President to publicly withdraw comments that former President Uhuru Kenyatta has been funding the protests and also stop going after the former first family.

The opposition leaders also took issue with the President’s failure to commit to the talks.

Mr Odinga recounted how he called off the street demonstrations in April after President Ruto agreed to hold talks, only for the government side to later take them for granted.

“Against opposition from my people, I agreed to call off the protests at that time and give room for dialogue.”

“But as soon as the temperatures came down, it was business as usual, they had set up a team but were non-committal as members of that team were unavailable every time our people assembled,” Mr Odinga said.

Read: Catholic bishops join calls for Ruto, Raila talks

The Azimio leader said his side is not interested in a ‘nusu mkate’ arrangement as claimed by President Ruto and his allies.

“He (Ruto) is actually pretending. He is living in denial that we don’t have a crisis. But we have had a series of crises that require patriotism and we are ready ourselves,” he said.

He continued: “The protests are not about Raila or Karua or Kalonzo, they are about the finance law imposing levies on Kenyans like raising the fuel levy from eight  to 16 per cent despite opposition from all quarters.”

Mr Odinga also reiterated the irreducible minimums that they put on the table when they appointed the parliamentary bipartisan team co-chaired by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo and his Tharaka counterpart George Murugara.

“We are open to dialogue. We were called upon to call off the maandamano. Our key concern is the cost of living and it can be addressed, despite an economic recession,” said Mr Odinga, adding that they turned around the economy during retired President Mwai Kibaki’s tenure.

“Talking from experience, you cannot tax Kenyans to pay debts. You must put money into peoples’ pockets and create consumption for the economy to flourish and renegotiate the debt repayment plan.”

The Azimio leader also claimed that the duty-free imported commodities like maize, oils, sugar among others are sold at exorbitant prices and accused government officials of pocketing the proceeds.

Party discipline

Mr Odinga also took issue with the wooing of opposition MPs by the government side despite the political parties law’s provisions on coalitions and party discipline.

“Once one decides to cross the floor, they should resign and seek re-election,” he said.

He further faulted the use of force in Nyanza counties of Migori, Siaya, Homa Bay and Kisumu.

The countrywide demonstrations have left over 30 people dead and scores injured. Businesses have also been hit amid widespread vandalism and destruction of public and private property.