Ruto: I had reached out to Raila before broad-based government deal

President William Ruto has revealed that he reached out to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga immediately after the 2022 General Election, months before the formation of the broad-based government.

Ruto said his gesture to Raila, who had been his main opponent in the presidential election, was part of efforts to reduce political divisions and bring the country together.

Speaking during the broad-based government meeting in Naivasha, Nakuru County, Ruto said the engagement was not initiated two years ago when the Kenya Kwanza administration and ODM formally began working together.

“I did engage the Honourable Raila Odinga immediately after the election, with a view of minimising the differences, the rough edges, because ultimately we are citizens of one nation, irrespective of our political situations,” Ruto said.

The President said he had recognised the need to bring the country together despite the two political camps having competed against each other in the election.

“And by the way, just for your information, it did not happen two years ago. I knew, and I realised it was my intention to bring the country together,” he said.

Ruto and Raila faced off in the August 2022 presidential election, with Ruto emerging as the winner. Raila subsequently challenged the outcome at the Supreme Court, which upheld Ruto's election.

The two later became political partners under the broad-based government arrangement, with the development bringing together leaders who had previously been on opposing sides of the political divide.

Ruto said political competition was inevitable in a democracy but should not prevent leaders from working together in the national interest.

“Yes, we must compete. Yes, we must have different points of view. But the bottom line is that we belong to one nation, and if Kenya succeeds, we succeed irrespective of our political positions,” he said.

He said failure would similarly affect everyone regardless of their political affiliations.

If Kenya does not succeed, it doesn't succeed for all of us,” Ruto said.

The President said the broad-based government meeting was therefore an opportunity for leaders to have an open discussion about the country's direction, including what had been achieved and what remained to be done.

He described the gathering as a consequential meeting, bringing together leaders from different political formations and institutions.

“This broad-based family is the largest gathering of political leaders in Kenya,” Ruto said, adding that the meeting brought together more than 250 National Assembly members, nearly 45 senators, governors, political formations and representatives of major commissions.

He said the size of the gathering meant leaders had to appreciate the responsibility that came with their positions.

“The future of our nation is dependent on the decisions that we make in this meeting,” he said.

Ruto also pointed to areas of convergence between the Kenya Kwanza and ODM manifestos, saying the two sides had shared objectives despite pursuing them through different political approaches.

He said such areas of common ground provided a basis for political cooperation and efforts to advance national interests.

The President said the leaders should use the meeting to review the country's progress under Kenya Kwanza and the subsequent broad-based arrangement while charting the way forward.