Ruto hopes calling Raila brother will help stop demos

By Peter Ochieng

President William Ruto on Monday evening left his audience in stitches, when he said he will call Azimio leader Raila Odinga 'my brother' if it helps in preventing demonstrations.

Speaking at State House, Nairobi when he hosted Muslims for an Iftar dinner, the Head of State said protests have in the past proved costly to the country's economic recovery agenda.

"Nimeona tena wanalalamika. Wanasema mbona Ruto amemuita Raila my brother, angemuita mtu ya kitendawili (I have seen them complaining again. They say why did Ruto call Raila my brother, he should have called him a man of riddles," said the President as his audience broke into laughter.

"Kama kumuita Raila Odinga my brother ndio itasaidia awache maandamano, awache fujo, mali ya watu isiharibike, biashara ya watu isiharibike; mimi nitamuita my brother mara kumi. Hata nitaongeza my dear brother," he added.

It translates to, "If calling Raila Odinga my brother will help stop him from demos, stop violence so that people's property is not destroyed, businesses are not destroyed; I will call him my brother ten times. I will even add my dear brother."

On April 2nd 2023, Odinga called off the bi-weekly demos after President Ruto suggested a bipartisan approach to resolution of some of the issues raised by the opposition.

They include lowering the cost of living and openning IEBC servers.

Odinga has however called for another round of demos after Ramadhan.