Nairobi - Kenya's President Uhuru
Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga promised on Friday
to unite the country after elections last year in which around
100 people were killed mainly in clashes between opposition
supporters and security forces.
The surprise announcement is likely to lower political
tension in a country that is East Africa's richest economy and a
key regional hub for security, diplomacy and trade.
In a live television address with Kenyatta on the steps of
the president's office, Odinga said the time had come to resolve
their differences. It was the first joint public appearance of
its kind by the two politicians since 2013.
Kenyatta said: "We have a responsibility as leaders to find
solutions. Elections come and go but Kenya remains."
They said in a statement they have agreed to establish a new
office staffed by advisers to tackle the divisions ranging from
opposition complaints over the election to tensions between
ethnic groups and corruption.
Kenyatta was sworn in last November for a second term after
winning a repeat presidential election last Oct. 26 that Odinga
boycotted. The Supreme Court earlier nullified an August
presidential poll and order the October re-run.
Murithi Mutiga, a senior analyst with the International
Crisis Group, said the meeting between the two "titans" of
Kenyan politics was key because they have been feuding for so
long.
"The symbolism is very important but it is vital that they
also invest heavily in ensuring that a more lasting settlement
emerges from their talks," he said, citing the need to stamp out
violence every time elections are called.
The election season blunted growth in Kenya, East Africa's
richest economy and a Western ally in a volatile region.
In January, Odinga took a symbolic presidential oath in a
Nairobi park in a direct challenge to Kenyatta.
Before the Friday meeting, the two men had defied calls from
Kenyan civil society, religious leaders and Western diplomats to
hold talks to overcome deep divisions opened up by the disputed
elections.
Odinga said the opposition had decided to change tactics for
the sake of the country's unity. "We refuse to allow our
diversity to kill our nation," he said.
Odinga's allies in his NASA coalition, including his running
mate in last year's poll, Kalonzo Musyoka, said they were not
aware of the meeting and promised to give a detailed statement
later.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in the Kenyan
capital later on Friday as part of a seven-day visit to Africa
and one analyst said his arrival could be linked to the
rapprochement between Kenyatta and Odinga.
"The U.S. should not be dismissed or discounted. They have
successfully engineered this," said Aly Khan Satchu, an
independent analyst in Nairobi.
One lawmaker said Kenyatta, who is in his final term, and
Odinga, who turned 73 in January, may be keen on securing their
legacies with the new found unity of purpose.
Moses Kuria, a legislator for Kenyatta's Jubilee party said
the meeting could be the start of ending the cycle of disputed
elections and their ruinous impact on economic growth.
"We are the only country that goes for elections and ends up
with an economic slump... It is good for the country," said.
(Additional reporting by Maggie Fick and Katharine Houreld
Writing by Duncan Miriri
Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)