Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Nelson Havi has downplayed President William Ruto’s surprise meeting with his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, on Monday.
Ruto visited Kenyatta at his Gatundu home for what he called discussions centred on promoting national unity and addressing tribal divisions in Kenya.
The meeting surprised many because their relationship has seemingly been strained since Ruto served as deputy president under Kenyatta’s administration; Kenyatta refused to back Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid, instead throwing his weight behind former prime minister Raila Odinga as his preferred successor.
Havi on Wednesday said Ruto and Kenyatta have individually let down the vote-rich Mt Kenya region the latter hails from, and they cannot do anything to appease the area’s voters to increase their political prospects.
Speaking to Citizen TV’s Day Break program, the former LSK president said Kenyatta no longer represents the Mt Kenya region.
“Uhuru Kenyatta has only one vote and no longer represents Mt Kenya. There is talk of a further coalition government above the coalition between President Ruto and Raila Odinga; to what end?” Havi said.
Havi described talk of a reincarnation of the 2019 Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as backward, saying “Whoever conceives of a rebirth of the BBI enterprise should be perceived through that prism – no longer interested in what is key.”
“I do not see why people should be jolted, these three people have tried this thing before and Kenyans should stay informed of the nefarious scheme underlying their reorganisation.”
After Odinga lost the presidential seat to Ruto in the tightly contested August 2022 race – whose results he unsuccessfully challenged in court – the former premier organised demonstrations against Ruto’s administration in 2023.
However, the two leaders later reconciled and Ruto has been campaigning for Odinga’s African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship bid.
