National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichungwah told Azimio to forget any handshake or power-sharing arrangement during the yet-to-start bipartisan talks.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 2, Ichungwah, who doubles up as Kikuyu MP insisted that they will only engage on the five agenda items allegedly agreed upon during the Mombasa meeting attended by President William Ruto, opposition leader Raila Odinga, and former Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo.
“There shall be no discussion of whatever nature on matters handshake or “nusu mkate,” Ichung’wah said on Wednesday, August 2.
However, former Roots Party presidential running mate Justina Wamae has asked Kenya’s President William Ruto to prepare for a handshake with opposition leader Raila Odinga that will give birth to ‘Nusu Mkate’.
During an interview on LookUp TV, Wamae said it was payback time for the Head of State to accept a shared government similar to the one he pushed during the Grand Coalition Government run by late President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
“It’s now time for payback let Kenya Kwanza work with Azimio’s demands the same way Ruto wanted Kibaki to listen to the demands of Raila it is now for him to listen to the demands of Raila. Kimekuja kimemramba,
“Yote tisa, the Ruto team must have an open mind towards a handshake, Mkate nusu, and everything in between. The reason being in 2007, Ruto pushed Raila to get Nusu Mkate into Kibaki’s administration. It’s time for payback, Raila to get mkate nusu in Ruto’s administration,” she explained.
After the 2007 presidential elections, the then Eldoret North MP William Ruto who was leading Raila Odinga’s negotiating team in a peace deal spearheaded by Kofi Anna saw his party leader land a Prime Minister position in Kibaki’s government.
