During a joint press conference with his Rwandan host Paul Kagame, Kenyan President William Ruto dismissed speculation of a coalition arrangement with the opposition, led by Mr. Raila Odinga. Instead, he repeated his call for a ‘handshake’ deal that would provide an environment for the opposition to check his government without resorting to violence.
Ruto stated that there would be engagement in parliament to address the issues raised by the opposition, but there would be no handshake deal. He further clarified that he owed it to the people of Kenya to provide leadership and was committed to upholding the system of checks and balances in a democratic government.
The two sides, Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance have agreed to resolve their political differences through a parliamentary process, after two weeks of tense mass action led by the opposition. The demonstrations were causing unrest, and there were concerns that they could turn violent.
The protests were about the high cost of living, while the opposition leaders demanded that the servers at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission be opened to establish who truly won the last presidential election and that the appointment of new electoral commissioners is stopped. Both sides have agreed to form special parliamentary teams to address election-related issues.
In Kenya, a ‘handshake’ refers to a loose coalition arrangement between the government and the opposition. Odinga had such an arrangement with Ruto’s predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta, something that Ruto claims undermined development.
Ruto emphasized that democracy is underpinned by a system of checks and balances, where the government and opposition coexist, and that he is committed to upholding this system. He is currently in Kigali for a two-day visit, where he and President Kagame are discussing various issues, including trade and security in the region.