President Uhuru Kenyatta has reached out to the opposition led by Raila Odinga in a bid to resolve a political impasse driving the country south.
The details of the meeting emerged on Monday as the Star reports.
Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale led two meetings with a team from the opposition led by Raila’s elder brother Oburu Odinga.
The first meeting was held at Duale’s office on Friday while the second on was held a private club in Parklands.
Duale sent a personal message to Raila as Oburu confirmed it but declined to divulge the contents of the Duale’s message to his brother.
“And he [Duale] was also trying to see if there is anything that I can talk to my brother [Raila] about. But I told him, that it’s better President Uhuru reaches out directly to Raila. Not through me,” he told the Star.
He added: “You know political temperatures are high, so naturally, as a stalwart of Jubilee, from all angles, he would want the temperatures to cool.”
A source familiar with the meeting disclosed that one of the conditions given by Duale who is representing the President and Jubilee Party; was that NASA tones down on anti-government uprising as well as publicly recognize Uhuru as the dully elected President.
Also, NASA was urged to call off a parallel rally they had planned to hold today at Jacaranda grounds in Embakasi.
If NASA agrees to the proposal by Duale, then, Uhuru will personally engage the opposition in dialogue.
“If Raila accepts the proposal, the President himself will get involved in the negotiations,” said the source.
Duale’s team also made other proposals as listed below:
- At least two Cabinet posts and four posts for Principal Secretaries for Raila’s protégées;
- NASA to be considered in diplomatic appointments and parastatal jobs;
- Jubilee MPs in Parliament will unconditionally approve Oburu and Kennedy Musyoka’s names as members of East African Legislative Assembly;
- Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC to get one slot in the EALA appointments from Jubilee’s six as currently, the party is not entitled to any slot in EALA due to its small representation in Parliament;
- Should Raila accept the proposal, President Uhuru will negotiate in person.
Security detail for Raila and his deputy Kalonzo Musyoka was also to be reinstated.
Their security was scaled down on September just at the start of anti-IEBC demonstrations.
The President and his Deputy William Ruto will be sworn-in for a second term in office today.
The inauguration ceremony has attracted thousands of Kenyans.
Eleven heads of state are expected to show up at the coronation ceremony. Tanzania’s John Pombe Magufuli and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni have already arrived in the country.
Israeli’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also in the country.
Uhuru on Sunday during a Sunday service reached out to opposition.
He said: “I ask my competitors that there is no need to disturb citizens. The citizens did their part. We should now come together, sit and plan what we want to do for Kenya.”