Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula has called on Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga to pursue a handshake with President-elect William Ruto.

Speaking on Saturday, August 19, at a funeral service in Bungoma, Wetangula urged Raila to seek peace and take up the opposition role.

He maintained that a handshake would help promote peace in the country and reiterated Ruto’s sentiments that they will not have a post-election power-sharing deal with the opposition.

The Bungoma senator-elect further urged Raila to concede defeat and give up pursuing the matter at the Supreme Court of Kenya. 

“This is not the first time you have not won an election. This is the fifth, and just accept things happened the way they did, shake hands with us, not for the purpose of sharing government but to bring peace in the country.

“We will give Raila his respect as a former Prime Minister and as a man who has walked the length and breadth of our country playing politics,” he stated. 
 
His sentiments come barely three days after Odinga, labelled Ruto’s victory as null and void. 

Addressing the press at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Tuesday, August 16, Raila claimed that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson, Wafula Chebukati, contravened the law by announcing the results alone.

The Azimio leader argued that the IEBC – at the time of announcing the winner of the presidential vote – lacked a quorum. He further accused Chebukati of denying other commissioners access to the results before making them public.

On his part, Ruto maintained that he would only shake hands with the Azimio La Umoja flagbearer, to show that the two leaders are civilised. 

In a media briefing after being declared President-elect on Tuesday, August 9, Ruto urged the former Prime Minister to accept defeat and keep his government under checks and balances. 

“I am sure he will take up his position as the opposition so that we can move the country forward. The people voted for me as they want a government that has checks and balances.

“I haven’t talked to Uhuru Kenyatta, our outgoing President. I am the President-elect and there has to be a transition. In that transition, there will be a conversation,” Ruto stated.