Machakos County Governor Alfred Mutua says if there is going to be another political handshake it should be between Raila Odinga and William Ruto.
The governor was reacting to the proposal by Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru that President Uhuru Kenyatta should extend the olive branch to Ruto.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s Daybreak Show, Governor Mutua said a handshake between Uhuru and Ruto would be self-serving to Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
“It is the UDA side who are calling for the handshake and maybe they feel that they have been fixed to a corner and they are trying to get any kind of ‘bonga points’. You have heard Governor Waiguru talking about ‘it’s your legacy, come and shake hands’ but what is the significance of the handshake?” Mutua posed.
According to Mutua, the country needs a handshake that would ease political tensions and not a symbolic one.
“It is to their(UDA) benefit if they see Uhuru Kenyatta coming to shake hands with DP Ruto. But handshakes are not just handshakes, it is an agreement.
“For me, I think if there is going to be a handshake, the handshake that should be there should be coordinated by President Kenyatta and should be between Raila Odinga and William Ruto, a handshake that says we are going to play clean politics. That’s a handshake we want but not a symbolic handshake.”
