New information has emerged revealing why a meeting between National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Senate deputy chief whip Irungu Kang’ata failed to happen on Thursday as planned.
The media had been informed that the meeting would take place at Raila's Capitol Hill Office where he would be briefed by Waiguru who is also Council of Governors (CoG) Vice-Chair on the upcoming devolution conferecnce to be held in Kakamega.
According to a highly placed source in the executive who spoke to Nation, despite the meeting having been approved by State House, it was cancelled at the last minute after another call came from the Office of The President.
Some high-ranking government officials are said to have been concerned with the perception that would be created suggesting Raila had the executive powers to summon Cabinet Secretaries and receive briefings on key government programmes.
Waiguru, Wamalwa and Kang'ata were in a meeting at Pan-afric Hotel ironing out the details of the planned discussion with Raila when they received the call informing them to drop the plan.
[caption caption="Governor Anne Waiguru"]
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“The team was immediately called and told to cancel the meeting,” the source is quoted.
The source further disclosed that Kang’ata and Waiguru tried to reach out to Deputy President William Ruto to intervene, but were unable to reach him because both he and the President Uhuru Kenyatta were in Bomet County for a different event.
It further emerged that President Kenyatta had given instructions to Cabinet Secretaries on how to handle his deal with the opposition leader.
Kenyatta reportedly informed them that his engagement with Raila was personal and cautioned third parties from gettting involved.
A month after the famous handshake on the steps of Harambee House, details have yet to emerge on what the deal entails.
Paul Mwangi and Martin Kimani, the lawyers representing Raila and Uhuru respectively in the crafting of the deal, have called for patience following questions on the deal from a section of leaders.
[caption caption="CS Eugene Wamalwa"]
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