A new report has claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta's Friday meeting with National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga was fast-tracked after Raila received information that NASA co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula had begun talks to join forces with Deputy President William Ruto.
According to Sunday Nation, an ally of the opposition leader disclosed that Odinga decided to make his move before his counterparts in NASA did.
“Raila acted before they did,” the unnamed ally is quoted as stating.
The same report claims that the deal between President Kenyatta and Raila, who was sworn in as the People's President on January 30, was being discussed since late last year.
3 night meetings and direct phone calls between the bitter rivals reportedly set the stage for the surprise joint televised address at Harambee House.
[caption caption="Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga at Harambee House on Friday"]
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The last meeting is said to have happened at a senior Judiciary official's home where the deal was sealed.
The talks involved only a select few, with members of both the Kenyatta and Odinga family involved in developing the final document.
National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohammed played the role of Raila's messenger, which explains his presence at Harambee House on Friday.
The only other members of Raila's entourage were spokesman Dennis Onyango, his daughter Winnie Odinga, lawyer Paul Mwangi and Andrew Mondoh, a former Permanent Secretary for Special Programmes in the coalition government.
Raila is said to have decided to cement his legacy as a nationalist fighter for democracy and social justice, and is expected to spearhead efforts to unite Kenyans from various backgrounds.
The President is said to have been advised that the division among Kenyans was getting too entrenched, with the economy struggling and Kenya's international image tainted. He also reportedly wanted to retire with a legacy of having united the country and struck common ground with Odinga.
[caption caption="Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga at Harambee House on Friday"]
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