Ruto, Gachagua, Raila 'handshake' at Mukami's funeral service

By Peter Ochieng

President William Ruto, his deputy Rigathi Gachagua and Azimio leader Raila Odinga are currently attending Mukami Kimathi's funeral service in Njabini, Nyandarua County.

Ruto and Gachagua arrived shortly after 10.30am, before Odinga arrived shortly after 11.30am to offer their final respects to the departed freedom heroine.

When Odinga arrived, the Head of State and his second in command stood and subsequently shook the former Prime Minister's hand.

It was the first 'handshake' at least publicly, between the three since the August, 2022 general elections, where Ruto and Odinga were the main presidential contenders.

"There is history in the making as the late Mukami has forced a handshake between the President, the Deputy President and the former Prime Minister," said the Master of Ceremonies (MC) at the time Raila arrived.

"Handshake imefanyika, haijafanyika? Handshake imefanyika, haijafanyika?" he charged the mourners.

It translates to "has the handshake happened or not, has it happened or not?"

Ruto and Gachagua have not been 'seeing eye to eye' with Odinga, since last year's polls.

Ruto was declared winner of the presidential contest with 7.1 million votes, against Raila's 6.9 million.

The ODM boss disputed the results, claiming he won the race with over 8 million votes, against Ruto's less than 5 million.

He claimed the data was provided by a whistle-blowers report.

Odinga called for protests, which resulted to formation of a Parliamentary bipartisan committee.

Mukami Kimathi, a freedom heroine died last week. She was hit by stroke in 2015.

She is the widow of freedom fighter, Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi.