Speaking during a high-stakes interview on NTV with host Joseph Warungu, the former premier denied the DP’s claims that he had called him for a handshake pact four times before reaching out to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He went on to add that he neither called the DP or the president but a team worked to ensure that Uhuru and himself got to meet and iron things out for the unity of the country.
“The team, who are Kenyans, came and talked to me (about sitting down with President Uhuru) and I gave them conditions. Ultimately, the conditions were met and we talked. We met just the two of us.
“(Ruto was) not part of these negotiations at all and that was why I was surprised when he mentioned that I approached him,” stated the former prime minister.
“That is very unethical. Why would I call Ruto? I never did. That I can swear. I never spoke to William Ruto,” he continued.
In an intimate interview with Citizen TV in April 2019, the DP had claimed that he turned down Raila’s advances four times before the handshake.
Ruto, at the time. outlined reasons why he turned down the offer revealing that he had sensed Raila did not have a good motive.
“Raila Odinga approached me on four occasions after the elections to have a discussion. I declined to engage the former prime minister.
“I did not believe that he was doing this in good faith. I was not persuaded that he was doing this in good faith,” he explained at the time.
He further revealed that he declined to engage explaining that the party was headed with only one leader and that it is Uhuru who leads all political engagement.
“In Jubilee, we have one central command, President Uhuru Kenyatta is the party leader, he is the president and we all defer to him. If there is any engagement with anybody on matters politics, It has to start with Uhuru,” he continued.
