President William Ruto on Sunday, April 2, asked Azimio party leader Raila Odinga to call off the ongoing mass protests.
In an address to the Nation from State House, the Head of State lamented that the protests were hurting the economy.
"In these circumstances and in view of the recent events that led to the loss of lives and destruction of property in the demonstrations in the last two weeks,
"...I urge my brother Raila Odinga and the opposition to call off the demonstrations and to give this bipartisan approach a chance to take the country forward," Ruto stated.
The President agreed to address one of the concerns raised by Odinga, the composition of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC selection panel.
He proposed that the issue of the selection panel would be brought under review in Parliament.
"My suggestion is that this matter can be handled in parliament by a bi-partisan parliamentary process so that we can agree on what it is they have an issue with, and we can adjust as is agreed and as necessary," he stated.
Ruto ruled out the option of a handshake in case the bi-partisan process failed to yield fruit, he stated that it would revert the country to the previous dark days following the 2018 pact between Odinga and the former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
"There was no distinction between the government and the opposition. Once you compromise accountability and oversight, you are in for a lot of trouble," he reiterated.
He assured that the majority that Kenya Kwanza enjoyed in the two Houses would not undermine the process since the discussions would be based on ideas and not personal preferences.
Meanwhile, he called upon Kenyans to remain peaceful and law-abiding and assured them that the government would protect their lives and property, including their businesses.
On matters of the cost of living, Ruto pointed out that he had an elaborate plan to reduce the cost of food including providing subsidised fertiliser for the long term.
In the short term, he confirmed that the government embarked on a food importation program to meet the current demand for food products in the country thus lowering the high costs.
