There was nothing like a handshake government – Raila
Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio coalition, has denied the Kenya Kwanza government’s assertions that the ‘handshake’ played a role in the downturn of Kenya’s economy.
During an interview on Citizen TV, Raila made it clear that there was no official ‘handshake government,’ refuting claims made by certain leaders.
He clarified that his willingness to shake hands with former President Uhuru Kenyatta stemmed from a Memorandum of Understanding inked after the election conflict, rather than from an intention to establish a government.
“A lie repeated several times becomes the truth; first there was nothing like handshake government, every Kenyan knows that we only agreed to shake hands with Uhuru Kenyatta based on a Memorandum of Understanding that we signed after the dispute and that MoU is available,” Raila said on Wednesday.
“I was never in government, the people talking about handshake government were the ones who were in government, they were earning big perks of salaries and then they are saying the government was broke, what were they doing in that government?” Raila paused.
He mentioned that ODM had never been part of the government, and suggested that those currently in power were criticizing it because they aimed to take over its position through their ongoing campaign efforts.
On March 9, 2018, Kenya witnessed a significant event as opposition figure Raila Odinga and ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta came together in a symbolic “handshake,” marking a crucial turning point.
This widely acclaimed action recognized worldwide for its demonstration of diplomatic skill, signaled the conclusion of their enduring competition for the advancement of the nation.
The act of shaking hands resulted in the establishment of a task group aimed at tackling past wrongs and paving the way for a successful future. This action brought optimism to their followers and diffuse tension in the political environment.
Their project, the Building Bridges Initiative, sought to address nine primary concerns: ethnic hostility, national sense of belonging, inclusiveness, decentralization, polarizing elections, safety, graft, mutual prosperity, and accountability.
This substantial coming together occurred after the contentious August 2017 national elections, marked by violence, accusations of rigging, and a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated Uhuru’s initial win because of irregularities in the election process.
Following the election, there was a period of heightened tension, marked by more than 66 deaths due to confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.
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Raila eventually pulled out from the postponed October 26th elections, stating that the electoral commission had not implemented the required changes.
Furthermore, Raila Odinga, the leader of the Opposition, called upon the Kenya Kwanza administration to stop attributing fault to others and instead focus on promoting the country’s development.
He remembered that upon taking office in 2013 alongside the late former President Mwai Kibaki, they faced a Treasury that was close to bankruptcy.
However, despite this, they proactively took steps to enhance the economy. Odinga conveyed his surprise regarding the Kenya Kwanza administration’s ongoing criticism of the former regime, which persisted even more than a year after assuming control.
He contended that within a span of one year, it’s possible to stimulate the generation of wealth and alter the direction in which the country is heading.
“I see now more than a year later they’re still blaming the previous government in which they served that it took over empty coffers, if you took over empty coffers you have been in government for one year why have you not created wealth in that period of time,” Raila said.
Nevertheless, he asserted that while it’s the government’s responsibility to settle current debts, raising taxes isn’t the sole method available to generate revenue.
“When these people are talking about debt, you need money to pay those debts but increasing tax is not the only way to raise revenue, you can collect revenue without increasing taxes and that is what we did,” Raila said.
There was nothing like a handshake government – Raila
