Ruto, Raila Agree to Have Peaceful Resolution Talks

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo will head a 10-member committee to facilitate talks between President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga. 

The announcement was made by the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition and the ruling Kenya Kwanza alliance in a joint communique on July 29. The team will comprise five members from each side, including four members from outside parliament. The majority and minority leaders of the National Assembly and four other MPs, two from each side, will also be part of the team. 

"We, the leadership of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, having consulted with the leadership of Kenya Kwanza under the facilitation of H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo on the state of our nation, are determined to resolve our differences amicably for the benefit of all our people," reads the statement. 

The agreement to form the committee is a sign of progress towards resolving the political crisis in Kenya which has been exacerbated by anti-government protests over the high cost of living. President Ruto and Mr Odinga have both expressed their willingness to engage in talks. In a statement earlier this week, the opposition leader claimed that Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu's attempts to broker a truce failed after Ruto left her hanging. However, the State House denied any wrongdoing, stating that all visits by heads of state are official and public.

During a memorial service on Friday for those killed by police in anti-government protests, Azimio leaders pleaded with the government to listen to the plight of Kenyans. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka urged citizens to empathize with each other and listen to one another to avoid turning against their own patriots.