President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga will hold a crisis meeting at State House, on Tuesday, March 9, two days after the two held a phone call over an alleged fallout.
Raila will come face to face with former NASA counterparts and party leaders Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) at the meeting. The three leaders have been trading barbs publicly as they all gear towards the 2022 elections.
Gideon Moi (KANU), Moses Wetangula (FORD-Kenya) and Charity Ngilu (NARC), former Chairman of the Council of Governors, Wycliffe Oparanya and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho will also be in attendance.
Suna MP Junet Mohamed, however, said that the meeting had been planned before and was not related to the alleged fallout between Raila and Uhuru.
"The meeting of the party leaders is on course as earlier planned," Mohamed said, referring to Gideon Moi's press statement on Thursday, February 25, where the KANU leader said that Uhuru and Raila will meet all political leaders who support BBI on Tuesday, March 9 to discuss a way forward.
However, some party leaders who sought anonymity disclosed that they had not yet received invitations to the said meeting.
The head of state also reportedly cancelled a meeting with MPs and MCAs on Monday, March 8, to prioritise the State House event. The President and Raila were set to meet with the legislators to unveil a roadmap for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
The meeting was postponed to a later date, as Uhuru is reportedly keen on reuniting the BBI proponents who seemingly appear divided, with Deputy President William Ruto allies claiming that the end of the handshake is nigh.
"It was too early to hold the meeting (with legislators) because we do not know what kind of information the public will tell the joint committee which will inform the decision of members during the debate in assemblies.
"I am sure we shall also celebrate the anniversary of the handshake at a later date," Majority leader in Parliament, Amos Kimunya said. Uhuru and the ODM leader shook hands on March 8, 2018, leading to the birth of the BBI soon after the partnership.
Raila's camp has, however, of late, been criticising senior government officials for planning to sabotage the handshake and stop the former Prime Minister's plan to ascend to power in 2022.
Reports allege that Uhuru called his handshake partner to quell looming demonstrations as Raila's camp had planned to hold a rally at Kamukunji Grounds in Kibra constituency, Nairobi, to address his followers on the alleged fallout.
