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

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.

Joined on stage by Raila's running-mate in last year's divisive presidential election - Kalonzo Musyoka - the public display of camaraderie by the two sets of leaders shone a fresh ray of hope in the national reconciliation initiative.

The show of unity came on a day the names of 14 members of a team tasked to draw up a road-map to implement the Uhuru-Raila unity deal, dubbed building bridges, was gazetted with a year to submit a report.

At Safari Park Hotel - the venue of the annual national prayer breakfast - Uhuru, Ruto, Raila and Kalonzo apologised for divisive politics and asked for forgiveness, including for using foul language against each other during last year's heated election campaigns.

They exchanged apologies for derogatory comments and insults they directed at one another during the campaigns for the last year's elections, and which sharply divided their followers, almost tearing the country apart.

The President took the lead, reiterating the apologies he publicly offered in Parliament during the state of the nation address, asking Kenyans to forgive him for his unbecoming utterances during the campaigns.

“We have campaigned against each other, said nasty things about each other. I ask for forgiveness and tender my apology. We can agree to disagree because we cannot always agree on everything, especially in politics, but that should not cause us to abuse one another," Uhuru said

“Today, I ask for forgiveness from anyone I may have injured in any manner. We need to go around together and preach unity," he added.

The Head of State had taken the initiative when he summoned the other three leaders to the podium as he was concluding his address, leading them to publicly offer the apologies.

Those in attendance stood up in cheers as the leaders, who only a few months ago, could hardly see eye to eye, extended warm handshakes, that were followed with warm, brotherly hugs.

Ruto and Raila, who have lately engaged in political exchanges even after the President and the former Prime Minister appeared to cool the political embers through their famous initial handshake, buried the hatchet, with both borrowing deeply from the bold gesture initiated by the President.

In his apologies, Raila particularly recounted the personal attacks he had with Uhuru in the run-up to the hotly contested elections, but revealed that the two had privately discussed their utterances in their preliminary talks towards the truce.

“On behalf of my group and in front of this congregation I tender my apology to my brother (Uhuru). When we first met and had a candid talk, he told me, "You know you insulted me during the campaigns," and I also told him that he equally insulted me and called me, kimundu muguruki (sic) (a mad man)," Raila said.

The former Prime Minister said the gesture was a pointer to Kenyans of their move from any further divisive politics, saying that going forward they would embrace peaceful campaigns that would unite Kenyans. He said the country had moved steadily since the initial handshake, with the shilling gaining ground against other currencies and the stock market also performing well.

“Never again shall a Kenyan die because of an election, and never shall a Kenyan deny another their birthright in the name of elections or political contest," said Raila.

And in what appeared as a way of cementing the newly found unity, US Senator James Inhofe (Oklahoma) called the two leaders to the podium and held them together as he prayed for them, exhorting their bold move towards uniting Kenyans.

Ruto also reached out to Raila and Kalonzo. “I thought you (Uhuru) were to do this on our behalf, but following your footsteps, I want to ask for forgiveness and tender my apology. For all the things I said to all of you I want to ask for forgiveness,” Ruto said.

Kalonzo said the gesture should be cascaded to every corner of the country to unite Kenyans. “When it comes to being angry because of political outcomes, I think I was the number one culprit. One of the lessons I have learnt is to never be angry at your political competitor, it does not help,” he said.