Uhuru, Ruto meet in public for the first time since inauguration

From left: President William Ruto, Burundi's president Evariste Ndayishimiye and former President Uhuru Kenyatta. [Samson Wire, Standard]

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his successor William Ruto have been seen in public together today for the first since Ruto's inauguration on September 14, 2022.

at Kasarani Stadium.

Uhuru and Ruto are attending The Third Inter-Congolese Consultations of the Nairobi Peace Process at Safari Park Hotel. Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye and former president Uhuru are the officiators of the event.

President William Ruto has officially opened the event which is being attended by the African Union and United Nations observers, as well as other invited diplomats in the country.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's head of state is expected to address the participants virtually.

According to the government's press statement released on Sunday evening, the consultations are a follow-up to the other talks held before.

"These consultations are a follow-up to the inaugural inter-Congolese peace consultation (Nairobi I) that was held in April 2022, the second inter-Congolese peace consultations a scoping and mapping mission in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu (Nairobi II) which took place in May 2022,"

A day after the arrival of Kenyan troops in Goma, North Kivu, former President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Kinshasa for a two-day visit.

He was accompanied by East African Community Secretary General Peter Mathuki.

And held talks with President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa.

Monday last week President Ruto flew to Kinshasa for talks with withThsisekedi before proceeding to South Korea.

Kenya has deployed troops to eastern part of the DRC as part of a larger East African Community stabilisation force in a geopolitical matrix complicated by Kishasa's mistrust of Rwanda and Uganda which it accuses of supporting rebels.

A fortnight ago a DRC jetfighter landed at a Rwandese airport and took off.

During his visit to Kinshasa, Uhuru urged the residents to remain united lest risk losing their wealth to the war propagators.

In an interview with the DRC national broadcaster, he asked them to find amicable ways to resolve their problems and learn how to co-exist even with their diversities.

"Regardless of what tribe you belong to and wherever you come from, this is your country. Others will come from outside to divide you, but they do not do it out of love but because of their personal benefits," Uhuru stated.

The peace envoy noted that he is committed to delivering on the mandate which the presidents of the East African Community (EAC) entrusted him through dialogue.

Consequently, Uhuru extended an indentation to the leadership of the M23 rebel group to attend the Nairobi Process in Kenya to have discussions on how they can restore peace in the region.