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Why I have reached out to Raila – President-elect Ruto


President-elect Dr William Ruto has disclosed that he has reached out to his archrival in the just concluded hotly contested polls on how to forge the country together.

This came barely hours after he also revealed that he had a phone conversation with his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta in regard to transition process.

The move seems to be aimed at working on a formula to unite the country together fathoming that himself and Azimio La Umoja One Kenya honcho enjoy almost equal support across the country.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) leader said he is focused on ensuring that his government serves all Kenyans regardless of their political affiliation.

“The administration that I am going to run is going to be an administration that is going to serve all Kenyans equally, whether they voted for us or they did not,” said Dr Ruto.

Also read: President Uhuru Kenyatta is an adult, it is not a must he supports me – William Ruto

Although having spoken with his boss, Dr Ruto wondered how President Kenyatta hasn’t congratulated him yet, something which continues to raise eyebrows in the public on what the outgoing head of state is up to with his coldness over his deputy’s victory.

“Unfortunately, President Kenyatta has not seen it to congratulate me. Maybe he is a bit disillusioned or maybe he is unhappy that I defeated his candidate, but that is the nature of politics,” said Dr Ruto.

Making his first speech since Kenyans went to the polls on August 9 on Monday after the Supreme Court upheld Dr Ruto’s victory, President who promised smooth transition avoided mentioning the name of his estranged deputy or directly congratulating him.

He instead congratulated “all who have won”, hours after Dr Ruto had told the nation that the two had not spoken ” in month.”

Also read: Former US President Barack Obama has yet to congratulate President-elect Ruto

Speaking during the Azimio Parliamentary Group meeting at Maasai Lodge in Kajiado Country, President Kenyatta said upon handing over power on Tuesday, he will be an ordinary citizen who has a right to have his leader.

“I will hand over power on Tuesday while smiling because that is my constitutional duty and I had promised a smooth transition. After that, I will become a normal citizen and my leader will be Raila Odinga, ” said President Kenyatta.

Following the tranquility which characterised this election unlike in the past where there were chaos after announcement of presidential results, Dr Ruto attributed it to the maturity of the country’s democracy and commitments of leaders in ensuring that peace prevail.

“I think it speaks to the heart of the maturity of the democracy of our country. No citizen, no leader wants their country to be famous for violence. We can go to an election, we can decide who our leaders are and the next day we can go back to work. That is the standard we have raised for ourselves as the people of Kenya, I am very proud of it,” he said.

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