President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga initiated secret negotiations in 2017 to resolve escalating tensions after the presidential election, which had triggered widespread violence and economic strain.
The talks, mediated by senior figures including Odinga's wife Ida and Kenyatta's mother Ngina, aimed to prevent further destabilization. Both leaders faced internal pressures: Kenyatta's government grappled with maturing debt obligations like the Eurobond, while Odinga's movement, Nasa, suffered from dwindling support and financial constraints.
Key advisors confirmed that the decision to engage stemmed from mutual recognition of the risks. Odinga warned that declaring a parallel government could result in treason charges, while Kenyatta risked plunging the nation into anarchy by escalating crackdowns on protesters.
Despite the agreement, neither leader informed their closest allies beforehand. Odinga's 2017 Nasa coalition partners, including Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi, were excluded from early discussions, though some later endorsed the deal.
The resulting 'handshake' paved the way for the Building Bridges Initiative, a national consultation process seeking public input on constitutional reforms. The project, now in its implementation phase, could lead to a referendum later in 2019 or 2020.
