President Uhuru Kenyatta Defends His Handshake with Raila

President Uhuru Kenyatta has come out to defend his handshake with Opposition chief Raila Odinga, which has raised questions about its political implications.

Speaking at Chatham House in London, United Kingdom on Tuesday, Uhuru allayed fears that the unity pact with Odinga has a bearing on 2022 succession politics.

The President was categorical that the truce with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader was solely aimed at uniting the country after last year's hotly contested presidential polls.

“It is a Kenyan agenda that we [Government] hope to deliver [development and a conducive environment for business] to the people; and we acknowledge that we cannot do it on our own; we need each other. We should not keep our people engaged in politics 24 hours,” he said.

“We cannot achieve the social and economic needs of our people in an environment of constant political bickering,” the President added.

While acknowledging that political competition is a crucial component of democracy, President Uhuru stated that leaders must rise above political rhetorics and focus on the country's development.

Responding to the question about a lack of inclusivity, President Kenyatta said: “Our department of National Cohesion has been set up to look into matters inclusivity. The Government recruits its staff, for example, the military at district level, and not at County level.”

He added: “Inclusivity [as an ideal situation] is not going to happen overnight. My administration’s agenda, to ensure inclusivity is achieved at both ethnic and gender levels, is clear.”