Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei revealed on Wednesday, August 2, that President William Ruto made a phone call to Sudan's de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, amid rising tensions between the two countries.
During an interview on Spice FM, the PS indicated that Ruto reiterated his commitment to helping Sudan find peace after months of conflict between Burhan's faction and the country's paramilitary unit, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to Sing'Oei, Ruto urged the General to focus on matters that would contribute to peace in the region.
Burhan's faction had previously declined President Ruto's offer to mediate between the conflicting parties. They went on to accuse the Head of State of providing financial support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in a power struggle with their faction for control of Khartoum since the collapse of the transitional government.
Khartoum also accused Nairobi of hosting General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, at a hospital in Nairobi.
Kenya has since dismissed these allegations.
The PS mentioned that President Ruto is actively advocating for a border dialogue structure that seeks to engage citizens in the decision-making process.
"Part of the discordance between the military sitting in Khartoum and Nairobi is not just enough for the two generals to engage but also bring on board the civilian voices.
"The reason why we are where we are here today is because of the failed transition from the military to a full-fledged democratic order. One should not pay too much attention to the noise around the issue," he stated.
Sing'Oei, while acknowledging the existence of fragmentation within the military, pointed out that this has resulted in differing opinions within Burhan's faction.
"One cannot take the view of one General to say that is the controlling position," the PS added.
The senior diplomat disclosed that Ruto, recently appointed as a mediator for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), plans to collaborate with other leaders involved in the peace process to enhance its effectiveness.
Burhan's team has expressed its unequivocal opposition to Kenya's participation in the process, going as far as daring Ruto to a war.
This resistance to Ruto's appointment as IGAD mediator has caused disruptions in the peace process, hindering the efforts of various teams working to mediate between the warring factions.
Khartoum made it clear that they would only consider IGAD's mediation offer only if Ruto steps down from his role as the chair of the quartet, which consists of the leaders of Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti.
