In a televised speech on April 2, 2023, President William Ruto signaled willingness to hold bipartisan talks with opposition leader Raila Odinga to end Azimio protests.
This came after the protests turned ugly, causing deaths and destruction of property. This did not, however, turn out well after the MPs on both sides failed to agree on whether the talks would take part in or outside Parliament.
These disagreements have since escalated and have resulted in deadly protests across the country. The recent ones left 23 people dead according to the UN Human Rights Office and hundreds injured, including innocent school-going children after teargas canisters were thrown by the police into their school compound.
Azimio have vowed to continue with these protests until their demands, which include suspension of the Finance Act 2023, are met. On the other hand, Dr Ruto has declared that no more protests will be allowed and that he is now ready to deal with Raila.
The big question remains; if the chest-thumping between the two continues, who will suffer? The answer can be explained by the proverbial African saying that whenever two bulls fight, the grass suffers.
President Ruto has done a good job of negotiating removal of visa between Kenya and several countries such as South Africa, Djibouti and Comoros. This is in a bid to encourage trade among citizens of these countries and Kenyans. This might however turn out to be another pipe dream if the political instability is not urgently resolved.
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance recently announced that Kenya is losing an estimated Sh3 billion a day emanating from ongoing Azimio demonstrations. These losses are attributed to the looting of shops and supermarkets as well as destruction of property during the anti-government protests. If the riots are staged for three continuous days, we will be lose close to Sh9 billion.
Ethnic clashes have also started to beckon. Two communities clashed at Sondu village along the Kisumu-Kericho border. It is for these reasons that I beseech the president and the opposition leader to sit down and agree on a lasting solution to their differences. We are on the verge of losing our respect internationally if we cannot solve our differences internally.
Ruto and Raila cannot afford to be like the two generals in Sudan who have refused to listen to each other and instead seem to be enjoying the killing of innocent Sudanese. We must live by the words of former Vice President, Prof George Saitoti, that "there comes a time when the nation is more important than an individual".
As famous Brazilian author stated in the forward to his book 'Alchemist' '"When I read about clashes around the world, political clashes, economic clashes, cultural clashes, I am reminded that it is within our power to build a bridge to be crossed.
Even if my neighbour doesn't understand my politics, he can understand my story. If he can understand my story, then he is never too far from me. It is always within my power to build a bridge. There is always a chance for reconciliation, a chance that one day he and I will sit around a table together and put an end to our history of clashes. And on this day, he will tell me his story and I will him mine.''
Mr Gikima, is YALI RLC EA Fellow, Cohort 40. gikimaalex@gmail.com
