How DP Ruto knew Raila’s handshake was not genuine

Deputy President William Ruto has revealed some of the negotiations that preceded the March 09, 2018 political deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, touted as the handshake.

In an interview with Citizen TV, Dr Ruto claimed Mr Odinga reached out to him four times before the handshake but he refused.

Dr Ruto claimed that he refused to engage Mr Odinga because he thought the opposition leader was not genuine.

“In fact on two occasions, we actually spoke on the phone when he (Odinga) sent some emissary and I could hear the trend, ‘Ooh you know…you can see the president has started appointing ministers.’ You remember when the President appointed the first six ministers and there was a bit of hulabaloo there, I told him my friend you know, initially we were running a coalition, today we have a party, the president is the head of this party he does not have to consult me.

“I could see where he was going, to try and say you are being shortchanged, that kind of narrative which to me is a fake thing, so I did not engage him,” he said.

Dr Ruto said the other reason that made him not engage Mr Odinga was because Jubilee Party has a leader who is the President and it is him who should have any engagement if any.

“In Jubilee we have one central command, President Uhuru Kenyatta is the party leader he is the President and we all defer to him. If there is any engagement with anybody on matters politics it has to start with President Kenyatta and for your information, for every approach that was made by Raila Odinga to me, I informed the President… I told him myself that I will not engage Raila Odinga,” he said.

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