It has indeed been a long tunnel. The opposition veteran, Raila Odinga, had shunned all entreaties to toe the path of peace. He swore not to recognize President Uhuru Kenyatta as the country’s elected leader. Odinga appeared to have become a disciple of the late Nigerian Afro-beat king, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who sang the defiant number – No Agreement Today, No Agreement Tomorrow. But now, Mr. Odinga is seeking agreement. Exhilarated people will shout, Alleluia, to this development.
We hear that President Kenyatta met with Raila Odinga in public at the weekend for the first time since last year’s controversial elections. They have agreed to work together to bring peace to the divided country.
Reporters were surprised to see the two men in front of President Kenyatta’s office posing before cameras to deliver a joint statement, referring to one another as “brother”. They said they had decided to forget the past and were willing to work towards overcoming their long-standing ethnic and political divisions, without giving any details.
In the words of President Kenyatta, “We have come to a common understanding, an understanding that this country of Kenya is greater than any one individual, and that for this country to come together leaders must come together,” Kenyatta said.
Raila Odinga reciprocated similar sentiments. He said, “Throughout our independence history, we have had doubts on how we have conducted our affairs in the face of growing divide along ethnic, religious and political lines. Regrettably, we have responded to our challenges by mostly running away from them. The time has come for us to confront and resolve our differences.”
Concerned Africa watchers will not forget the palaver that followed Kenya’s presidential polls last year. The first presidential poll, won by the incumbent was annulled by the Supreme Court while the re-run was boycotted by the opposition.
Although the 2017 election generated political violence in which some Kenyans died, the gravity would not be matched by the outcome of the 2007 election which took the lives of over 1,000 people.
Some observers believe that last Friday’s surprise meeting between the two political scions had so much to do with the visit of US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to the East African country. He was slated to touch down in Nairobi a few hours after the surprise meeting. The US was the first country to urge Mr. Odinga to meet with President Kenyatta over their political differences.
