Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has denied claims that he urged President Willian Ruto to engage in a “handshake” with the opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Speaking on Sunday after a church service at St. Joseph Mukasa, Sakaja emphasised the need to “engage all leaders” in discussions, noting that the Kenya Kwanza administration discourages exclusionary politics.
“No one wants a handshake or nusu mkate. But you must acknowledge all leaders, you must be able to hear what are the legitimate concerns,” he said.
“This country is bigger than any one person this is our country and everyone must be made to feel as Kenyan as the other person.
“The politics of exclusion is not the politics of Kenya Kwanza. Kenya Kwanza’s politics is politics of inclusion and I know that is what the president stands for,” he added.
A media outlet later reported that Governor Sakaja requested a handshake between President Ruto and the opposition, which irritated the governor.
In a quick rebuttal, the governor stated that he instead urged President Ruto to engage the opposition in order to avoid the nationwide mass protests.
“Not accurate. I have not asked for a handshake but a discussion. Everyone should be heard. We have only one Kenya. No annex,” he wrote on Twitter.
