Ruto: My condition to Azimio ahead of dialogue

Speaking during a church service in Kwale County on Sunday, the Head of State said he met the opposition leader and his team this week.

However, Ruto gave the opposition a condition ahead of the talks that will be spearheaded by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. That no leader will plan violent protests in the country again.

“I talked with the opposition leader (Raila) and his team, I told them that we are a democratic country guided by the constitution and law. We can disagree on many issues but no present past or future leader will plan violence destruction of property. That will never happen again in Kenya,” the President said.

“We can talk on other things but we are not going to negotiate about the safety of Kenya. We have agreed that violence and destruction of property will not be in the equation of the politics and governance of Kenya. The other things we can talk,” he added.

The President also responded to an uproar from Azimio leaders, who faulted Kenya Kwanza for failing to include Cost of Living as a talking point in the parliamentary bipartisan talks that are set to resume.

According to the Head of State, the cost of living issue is already being addressed by government.

“Cost of living issue is in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, that is where the whole plan is. And we are already solving it. The cost of living cannot be addressed through protests,”  he said.

With respect to the concern, President Ruto said the government’s approach to lowering the cost of living through reducing production costs is already effective.

The talks between Raila and Ruto will be held by a 10-member committee entailing representatives from both sides. Obasanjo will oversee the talks between the members, who will include MPs from each side, and other members outside parliament.