Uhuru, Raila say handshake has nothing to do with 2022

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday told off critics of their handshake, vowing to stay put in their new resolve to unite the country.

Speaking during the funeral service for the late Kenneth Matiba at General Ihura Stadium in Murang'a, the two, who appeared to be reading from the same script, opened the lid on their new found unity, saying it was about bridging differences and not politics.

They said their coming together was aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence in the country, and that it had nothing to do with the 2022 succession politics.

President Kenyatta urged for support of his unity deal with Raila, saying he is aware some Jubilee and NASA politicians are unhappy with the gesture.

“We cannot continue differing at the expense of our country, and I know there are many who were not happy when we came together, because they thrive on commotion,” said President Kenyatta.

“We cannot let politics direct how we interact with each other. We have to change that narrative and come together for the common good of this country,” he added.

And in what appeared to be an apparent opposition to the clamour to change the Constitution, Mr Kenyatta said: "Constitutional change is not an answer to all our issues. We should focus on development and less on politics. Let us focus on what matters to our people.

"We are concerned about the health of our people, the infrastructure, their security and most importantly about the future of our young people. We cannot put our politics before the plans of God. We have to come together so that we can move forward," said Kenyatta.

Corruption and tribalism

The NASA leader said inclusivity, cohesion, corruption and tribalism were some of the issues that brought him and the President together.

“We are not thinking about 2022. That will come and go. We agreed that division that has prevented Kenya from achieving it's dreams will end with us so that we have a better country,” said Raila.

He added: "We agreed with my brother Uhuru to bring to an end this adversarial politics that has dominated our country for a very long time. We want the current and future generations to chart a new way."

Thousands of Murang’a County residents attended the late Matiba's funeral service.

Matiba’s body will be cremated today before family members and select friends at the Lang'ata Crematorium.

Uhuru said the Government would be "identifying our heroes and heroines, see how we can honour their memories and make them last so that our children can also learn from that history".

The service came just a day after a similar one was held at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi.

Other leaders also used the ceremony to call for unity and an end to ethnic intolerance.

Just like Matiba, Deputy President William Ruto said: “We are willing to sacrifice our comfort and political positions so that we can empower Kenyans.”

Ruto said Matiba was his inspiration and regretted that the multi-party democracy that he fought for was being threatened by corruption and tribalism.

Raila eulogised Matiba as somebody who was prepared to pay the ultimate price to bring about change in this country.

“We have lost a great hero; a man who was dedicated to his fight for democracy. He (Matiba) was committed to principle and was prepared to pay the ultimate price,” he said.

The NASA leader gave an account of his time with Matiba when they were detained at Kamiti, revealing that Matiba would not have suffered a stroke had medical attention been provided immediately.

“What caused Matiba’s stroke was preventable, if action would have been taken early, and this is the truth that must be said. The rest of the history is known,” he said.

Matiba's sister-in-law Alice Mwangi read his widow Edith's tribute, where she told of how she met Matiba while he was a student at Alliance High School, and how they went together to Makerere University in Uganda.