Fresh ray of hope as Ruto, Raila hug in show of unity

President Uhuru Kenyatta holds hands with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and visiting US Senator James Inhofe during a breakfast prayer meeting at the Safari park hotel on May 31, 2018. [Evans Ouma/Standard]

The future of the handshake was in focus when Deputy President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga pledged to cease blunt attacks that have threatened to undermine the political truce.

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday used the national prayer breakfast stage to prompt Raila and Ruto, whose recent acrimonious exchanges have cast doubts on the Head of State's March 9 unity deal with his main rival, the ODM leader, to a public gesture of reconciliation.