Kenyatta says he is open to dialogue with all leaders/FILE
Kenyatta has insisted that the meeting on Thursday with the other two presidential candidates was merely to deliberate ways of working together ahead of the elections.
He said that he is open to working with other leaders for the good of the nation.
Kenyatta said that the pact is intended to ensure that the country has a peaceful election which will be won on the strengths of policies and issues by candidates.
Kenyatta said: “We are not interested in an individual… we are interested in Kenya for Kenyans and we are interested in building a nation where we have peace, unity and in forming a government that is based on issues. In Kenya it is very easy to have campaigns based on religion and tribe and to blame other people for our woes and that’s not a route we are taking.”
The former Finance Minister spoke when he met women leaders and aspirants of The National Alliance (TNA) at the Bomas of Kenya.
Kenyatta, Musyoka and Ruto met on Thursday to revive talks of a possible coalition ahead of the 2013 general elections but did not firm up any agreements.
The three are perceived as having a common target in their unity which is to defeat Prime Minister Raila Odinga in his bid to become Kenya’s fourth president.
The DPM called on women to come out and articulate their issues so that they form part of the agenda of political parties wishing to form the next government.
“Instead of us coming here to say what we do not have, let’s go back to our grassroots, talk to the people so that when we come back we make a manifesto and an agenda for our government which is not exclusive of any segment,” he added saying that TNA will ensure that women’s rights are guaranteed not just in words but in deeds.
“We want to build a nation where women are not dependent on men but men and women are dependent on each other,” he pledged.\
Kenyatta called on Kenyans to learn to forgive and use the energy they use in fighting about the past in building a future for the next generation.
The party officially received defectors Rachel Shebesh from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Jebii Kilimo from the deregistered Kenda party.
Shebesh says that as a woman and mother, she joined TNA because that’s where her heart felt at peace.
The ODM nominated MP says that she is in the party to compete with the rest of the contenders for the Nairobi County Women’s representative and not for a direct nomination.
“My home politically is where women’s rights, the rights of the youth and all other rights in the constitution are respected and the good thing with this party is that it is new, and that it will be well nurtured,” said Shebesh.
Others who joined the party were Alice Ng’ang’a, who left the Kenya National Congress; Rukia Subow of Maendeleo ya Wanawake and a former commissioner at Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) Tia Galgalo.
The meeting was treated to light moments during the address by Makadara MP Mike Mbuvi popularly known as ‘Sonko’ who defended his actions as being in defence of women’s rights.
“Some people say that I am crazy when I sleep on the roads and protest, but it is because I stand for the rights of those who are not privileged and sell tomatoes,” he said.
Sonko who has declared that he will be running for the senate seat in Nairobi attracted applause from the women when told Kenyatta to make him ambassador to Kismayu if he fails to get elected as senator.
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