Deputy President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday met at the home of Kenneth Matiba to console his family.
The two sat next to each other, although they did not shake hands, as was expected by Government dignitaries who had accompanied the DP.
In his address, Mr Ruto said the Government would not trample on the democratic gains made since the advent of multi-party democracy.
The DP praised Mr Matiba and other politicians for the sacrifice they had made during the struggle for multi-party democracy.
“We will not trample on what you fought for. (Matiba) made a lot of sacrifices for Kenya to be a multi-party democracy. The struggle should not be in vain. President Uhuru Kenyatta and I are committed to work together to overcome ethnic politics across the country,” Ruto said.
He said the Government was looking into other issues affecting the family to ensure those matters were considered.
Political brutality
Raila, who was accompanied by his wife Ida, urged the Government to ensure it expedited the process of compensating Matiba's family and those who had suffered brutality at the hands of previous regimes.
“This is a very difficult moment for all of us. We as friends of Kenya have come to show our compassion for a selfless man who had served the country with a lot of dedication. The late was ready to pay ultimate price for the sake of securing democratic space of this country,” he said.
Raila said Matiba was an icon of the struggle for democracy and that his suffering in detention had led to the collapse of his businesses.
He recalled sitting with the former minister and talk about soccer as he narrated their suffering in detention.
“As we speak about the story of political detainees, nobody has bothered to give the other side of the story of the wives and children who were left behind," Ida said.
