A day after President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga agreed to dialogue, political analysts and leaders on Monday, April 3, approached the matter with mixed reactions.
After weeks of tension and chaos occasioned by Azimio protests, pundits welcomed the idea of a ceasefire, noting that it was in the best interest of the country.
Political analyst Mark Bichache emphasized that it's time for the President and the opposition chief to involve their co-principals in the peace process. This, he explained, would help avoid the blame game.
"President Ruto and Azimio leader Raila can't do these talks alone, they must involve other leaders including hardliners in their coalitions," stated Bichache.
At the same time, Bichache suggested handling the talked and reconciliatory process out of parliament. According to him, the parliament, where Ruto enjoys massive support, is compromised.
On the other hand, Jane Thuo, a political analyst explained that the buck stops at the two principals - President Ruto and the former Prime Minister.
According to Thuo, each leader has to handle hardliners and in-house emerging issues and address them at the coalition level before appearing at the negotiation table for talks.
"President Ruto has to involve his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua and other key Kenya Kwanza leaders in the dialogue with Azimio leader Raila," Thuo told Kenyans.co.ke in an interview.
This position was echoed by political analyst Herman Manyora who emphasized that there was no way the President could have a conversation with the opposition without involving his deputy. Gachagua on several occasions ruled out talks with Odinga that would see the ODM chief join the Kenya Kwanza government.
Manyora, who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke, explained, "If the President wants to succeed in this dialogue, he needs to involve his deputy."
At the same time, the university don predicted that a good working relationship between the President and the Azimio leader may dent his ties with DP Gachagua and other Kenya Kwanza leaders who are perceived hardliners.
Mutahi Ngunyi, a political analyst, advised the President not to involve DP Gachagua in the dialogue with Azimio leader Raila.
"Whatever you do hereafter, keep Gachagua out of it and I believe Uhuru Kenyatta brokered this deal," Ngunyi posted on his Twitter.
Generally, opinion is divided as to whether Ruto should involve his principal assistant in talks with Odinga, even with fears that the opposition chief could rock the Kenya Kwanza boat from inside.
The truce between Ruto and Odinga also mirrors what happened in March 2018, when former President Uhuru Kenyatta sealed a deal with the veteran politician, leaving Ruto in the cold.
It was the handshake that precipitated a frosty relationship between ambitious Ruto who was eyeing the presidency and his boss, Uhuru, who was serving his last and final term in office.
On Monday, April 3, President William Ruto met Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary leadership, led by Kimani Ichung’wah and Aaron Cheruiyot to fast-track the bipartisan approach in reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
