Kenya’s President William Ruto has maintained that he will not be coerced into sharing the Kenya Kwanza government with opposition leader Raila Odinga.
During his tour of the vote-rich Mt Kenya region on Sunday, August 6, the Head of State instead said he was ready to support the establishment and facilitation of the official opposition office.
This he said would help deliver his pre-election promises made to Kenyans as it will keep him and his government accountable.
He further accused the opposition led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga of turning down the offer and was only after protests that have left several innocent Kenyans lame and caused loss of lives.
“I am ready to support the opposition in having an office to keep me accountable, but they don’t want that. They’ve instead gone to demonstrate,” President Ruto said.
Attempts to re-introduce the office of the opposition first came out in December 2022 since its abolishment in the 2010 Constitution.
This was after Minority Leader in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi, said plans were underway to introduce a bill to amend Article 260 of the Constitution that would include the office of the leader of opposition under the category of state office thereby, rendering it a powerful position.
“The bill seeks to benefit the people of Kenya and should have bipartisan support,” he says.
Kivumbi.co.ke understands that senior political leaders from the minority side led by Raila Odinga, his deputy Martha Karua, and Kalonzo Musyoka have no structured office and can only address or question the sitting government through political rallies or press conferences.
President Ruto’s comments come at a time when Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo is in the country to spearhead dialogue between the two rival camps aimed at uniting the country after the hotly contested 2022 presidential election.
