In January 2008, the country witnessed the famous handshake between former President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, after a disputed General Election on December 27, 2007.
The historic pact surfaced after President William Ruto extended an olive branch to Azimio leader Raila Odinga for talks to end the current political stalemate.
According to Odinga, the bipartisan talks should mirror the 2008 National Accord agreement, a position that Ruto's team vehemently trashed.
During the 2008 process, each team had four lead negotiators who finally sealed the deal. Who were they and what tangent did their political careers take?
The government side was represented by Party of National Unity members: Martha Karua, Sam Ongeri, Mutula Kilonzo (Senior), and Moses Wetangula.
On the other hand, Odinga's point men were Orange Democratic Movement luminaries, including: Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Sally Kosgei, and James Orengo.
The late Kofi Annan, the seventh Secretary General of the United Nations led a team of Eminent Persons from Africa to midwife a peace deal.
While briefing newly elected Parliamentarians on February 12, 2008, Annan was asked where he saw the negotiations leading to. In response, he stated that the negotiations were leading to a “Grand Coalition”.
However, Karua, then Member of Parliament for Gichugu was unsettled.
"My team is alarmed at some serious inaccurate statements made by Your Excellency (Kofi Annan) at the briefing of parliamentarians today. Namely, you stated that "the dialogue team had agreed to have a transitional government for two years after which we shall hold Presidential elections" which position has not been discussed or agreed upon," Karua stated in a terse letter.
Where are they?
Martha Karua
She was a Cabinet minister in the Grand Coalition government in charge of the Justice and Constitutional Affairs docket. However, in April 2009, she quit the Cabinet in a huff citing frustrations while doing her work.
She vied for the presidency in 2013 under her party, National Rainbow Coaliton-Kenya (NARC-Kenya). She came in sixth in the contest.
In the 2017 General Election, she joined the Kirinyaga gubernatorial race but lost to Anne Waiguru.
In 2022, she joined forces with the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Alliance. Raila Odinga vied for the presidency with Karua as his running mate. However, they lost to President William Ruto.
Sam Ongeri
A veteran politician, Prof Ongeri represented Nyaribari Masaba in Parliament for years. After the 2008 truce, he was appointed to the powerful education docket before also serving as Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister.
In 2017 he was elected Kisii Senator on an ODM ticket.
In 2022, he vied to be Kisii County governor on a Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) ticket but lost to Simba Arati of ODM.
Mutula Kilonzo (Senior)
In 2008, he was elected MP for Mbooni Constituency. He was Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development when the coalition government was formed. After Karua's exit from the Cabinet, he replaced her as the as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
He was elected as Makueni County Senator in 2013 on a Wiper Democratic Party ticket. He passed away on April 27, 2013. His son, Mutula Kilonzo (Junior) was selected as the Wiper Party flag bearer to replace his father and served for two terms until 2022 when he was elected the Governor of Makueni.
Moses Wetangula
He is currently the Speaker of the National Assembly.
In 2008, he was elected MP for Sirisia. In the coalition government, he was appointed the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In a Cabinet reshuffle in 2012, he was moved to the Trade docket.
Between 2013 and 2022 he was the Senator for Bungoma County. He is the Party Leader of FORD-Kenya.
The opposition side negotiators:
William Ruto
Ruto was an ODM member in 2008 and represented Eldoret North Constituency in Parliament. He served as Agriculture and Higher Education Minister.
President Ruto is also the party leader of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
In 2013, he joined hands with Uhuru Kenyatta to form The National Alliance. They won the elections against strong competition from Raila Odinga’s ODM and his coalition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).
He became the Deputy President with Uhuru Kenyatta as the President.
In 2017, Ruto and Kenyatta formed the Jubilee Party with which they won the presidency again.
Musalia Mudavadi
He is the Prime Cabinet Secretary in the Kenya Kwanza government.
In the coalition government, he was named Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government representing ODM.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta was appointed Deputy Prime Minister representing Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU).
Mudavadi vied for the presidency in 2013 before backing Odinga in 2017 under the NASA coalition.
In 2022, Mudavadi's Amani National Congress (ANC) party joined Kenya Kwanza, catapulting Ruto to State House.
Sally Kosgei
Dr Kosgei wielded massive power during the late President Daniel Moi's time, serving as Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet.
She served as Aldai MP and minister for higher education and agriculture in the Grand Coalition government from 2007 to 2013.
James Orengo
He is currently the Governor of Siaya County after winning the seat on an ODM party ticket.
In 2007, he won the Ugenya Parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket. He was appointed the Minister for Lands in the coalition government.
From 2013 to 2022, he served as a two-term Senator for Siaya County. He is still aligned with Raila Odinga and is a member of the ODM party.
