Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on Thursday, March 30, admitted that the government was under pressure from international partners to engage Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga.
Speaking in Mombasa, Gachagua disclosed that foreign partners had approached President William Ruto to sit down with Raila.
However, Gachagua responded to foreign partners insisting that Ruto's administration was only open to discussing with Raila his exit from politics.
Besides foreign partners pushing for Ruto and Raila dialogue, Gachagua indicated that religious leaders had also approached them.
"We have told our international partners who are pushing us to sit with Raila Odinga. We have told Church leaders who are pushing us to sit with Raila Odinga that we are willing to sit with him but not to discuss his forceful entry into government," Gachagua stated.
"Raila you have been unfair to the people of Kenya, and we want to invite you for a meeting with President William Ruto to discuss your exit from Kenya's political space," he further indicated.
Justifying his sentiments, the Second in Command stated that engaging Raila in entering the government was tantamount to a constitutional violation.
"We are telling our friends that we cannot violate the constitution," Gachagua added.
The former Mathira Member of Parliament accused Raila of scheming to enter into another handshake with Ruto. He, however, ruled it out.
Gachagua made the sentiments during the commissioning of 500 Kenyan seafarers to join international shipping lines.
On Wednesday, March 29, the DP met US Senator Christopher Coons, credited for engineering the handshake between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila.
“We had consultations to further strengthen ties between the two nations, especially in trade, partnership in security, and democracy, among others key issues of mutual interest,” Gachagua wrote after the meeting.
Coon also met Raila in a separate meeting mirroring what happened in 2018.
“We discussed political developments in our country. We had a fruitful discussion on the importance of upholding the constitution and the rule of law in all activities and agreed to keep the channels of communication open,” the former Prime Minister wrote.
The meetings raised eyebrows, with pundits arguing that the US was pushing for a truce between Raila and Ruto.
