Wednesday, April 12, 2023 – Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has revealed Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s strategy to deal with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other Kenya Kwanza hardliners during the bipartisan talks.
Speaking during an interview, Sifuna, who is also the ODM Secretary General, revealed that Raila instructed his 7-member team in bipartisan to desist from engaging in a war of words and public confrontations with Ruto’s diehards.
“Raila Odinga had a sit-down with all of us and asked us not to say anything that should jeopardise the proposed dialogue in our public utterances.”
“We have pointed out certain leaders in Kenya Kwanza that we should neither listen to nor respond to,” Sifuna stated.
In particular, Sifuna pointed out that, as Azimio, they were not considering remarks made by Gachagua, economist David Ndii, and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah over the Raila-Ruto truce.
“We have decided that the only person we will directly engage is the President since he was the one who called for the truce.
“When Ruto was extending an olive branch to Raila, Gachagua was by his side. If he had reservations he could have spoken then,” he explained why Azimio was ignoring the Deputy President.
On Thursday, Gachagua remarked that should the President have a handshake with Raila, he would dissociate himself from the dialogue process.
Gachagua’s sentiments were backed by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who declared that handshake was not an option.
Both sides have already unveiled their teams to face off in the bipartisan talks.
The Kenyan DAILY POST