Nairobi — President William Ruto on Saturday adopted a 'combative tone' ahead of the bipartisan talks between his Kenya Kwanza team and the opposition Azimio.
President Ruto who spoke in Githurai, Kiambu County, during the start of his five-day developmental tour of Mt. Kenya, made it clear that he was not enthusiastic about the talks and asserted that he would not yield to any threats whatsoever from the opposition.
"I have repeatedly told them that they will never be part of my government even with the threats that they keep on making," he said adding in Swahili "nitawakalia ngumu" loosely translated to English as "I will be firm on them."
President Ruto steered clear from discussing the upcoming bipartisan talks emphasizing that he will not let anyone derail his agenda for the country.
The opposition, President Ruto decried was hell-bent on setting roadblocks for him not to achieve his set out goals.
The Head of State however used his first stopover of the tour to instead enumerate his development agenda for the country
In Githurai, he commissioned the water supply project and the Githurai market.
"We agreed that after the election it was work and nothing else and not kitendawili," he said.
Kenya Kwanza and Azimio have formed five-member teams to address urgent issues in the country, including the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
However, they have not yet agreed on the date for the initial meeting.
Azimio proposed August 7, 2023, while Kenya Kwanza suggested August 10, 2023, as they would be unavailable on the former date.
The latest attempts by Kenya Kwanza and Azimio to give another shot to the talks followed nationwide protests organized by the opposition over President Ruto's government's failure to address the soaring cost of living.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
- No handshake -
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who was part of the entourage, firmly emphasized that any notion of a handshake would not be tolerated.
He subsequently pledged to counter any efforts by the opposition to divert the President from fulfilling his responsibilities.
"We will not allow them to destabilize the President. We will deal with them," he said.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, leading the Kenya Kwanza team in the talks, emphasized that he will not tolerate any distractions once the discussions begin.
"My job during the talks will be to remind them that we will not be ready for a handshake with them," he said.
On his part, Kiharu MP Ndidi Nyoro appealed to the President to halt the talks, stating that they were futile and a ploy by the opposition to use street demonstrations as a fallback plan if their demands are not met.
"Abandon any form of dialogue and let us work for our country," he said.
