NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 8 — President William Ruto’s Economic Advisor, David Ndii, Saturday said the government may consider a handshake with opposition leader Raila Odinga to secure stability.
Ndii, who chairs Ruto’s Council of Economic Advisors, was reacting to concerns over a bloated administrations following the appointment of fifty Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) in March to deputize twenty-two Cabinet Secretaries.
The often combative economist said government’s key consideration is survival and political stability terming the CAS appointments as crucial to building political capital.
“The first obligation of a government is survival and political stability. The more the dynasties foment destabilization the more we will have to spend on political capital. If push comes to shove handshake is always an option,” he tweeted.
The economist went on to state that the government may as well “buy” Odinga prompting further spending.
“We will just buy him with your [taxpayers] money and you will get nothing,” he said responding to an Azimio-affiliated user.
Ndii appeared to blame Odinga’s anti-government protests, now suspended, as a factor in impeding economic renewal efforts by President Ruto’s government.
His statement emerged amid efforts to convene bi-partisan talks in Parliament in a bid to forestall the revival of disruptive anti-government protests by Odinga who has refused to acknowledge Ruto’s victory in the 2022 presidential election.
Odinga, who has initially expressed reservations on talks proposed by Ruto instead calling for externally mediated dialogue outside the framework of Parliament, has already named seven lawmakers to participate in the parliamentary process.
Ruto’s side dismissed proposals for a mediation that would result in a settlement akin to the 2018 truce between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Odinga, famously referred to as handshake.
Election-dominated demands
Azimio named Ledama Ole Kina (Narok), Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), Enock Wambua (Kitui), Amina Mnyazi (Malindi), David Pkosing (Pokot South) and Otiende Amollo (Rarieda) on Wednesday following Parliamentary Group Meeting in Machakos.
“We shall send our members to that select committee. The point of reference shall be lowering the cost of unga and electricity, audit of IEBC servers used before, during and after the 2022 elections, reviewing the dismissal of the IEBC four, and for the government to consider restructuring IEBC by devolving its structures,” Kalonzo Musyoka, a principle in the coalition, stated following the PG.
Odinga threatened to take his supporters back to the streets should the talks fail.
“Should there be no meaningful engagements we shall mobilize Kenyans again under Article 37.”
He said Azimio would push for a constitutional review to end what he termed as “an imperial presidency”.
House Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah was expected to name representatives of the ruling party.
Ichung’wah and Kenya Kwanza’s parliamentary leadership met Ruto at State House on April 3, a day after the Head of State proposed bi-partisan talks in Parliament.
The Head of State asked the Parliamentary leadership of both Houses to consider the bipartisan approach to addressing the matters raised by the Opposition as a priority.
“We are convinced the issues shall be conclusively handled by Parliament in order to allow us to focus on our economic transformation programme,” Ruto said.
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