This archive report was first published on 20 October 2019.
On October 20, 2019, the handshake deal between Rais Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga was the subject of much discussion at the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Mombasa.
Naibu Rais William Ruto was invited to speak on the matter, but he refused to discuss the handshake deal and instead chose to focus on the development agenda led by Rais Kenyatta.
"Viongozi wawache siasa za unafiki na badala yake kumuunga mkono Rais Kenyatta ili kuunganisha Wakenya wote," Ruto said in his speech.
DP Ruto's decision not to discuss the handshake deal was seen as a significant development, especially given the fact that Raila Odinga had previously stated that the handshake was meant to bring Kenyans together and make them live like brothers and sisters.
However, Ruto's stance was not surprising, given his previous statements on the matter. In fact, Ruto had previously stated that he would not support the handshake deal, and instead chose to focus on the development agenda led by Rais Kenyatta.
It is worth noting that Rais Kenyatta himself did not mention the handshake deal or the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in his speech at the Mashujaa Day celebrations.
