President Uhuru Kenyatta has said that his truce with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga through their 2018 handshake has been a rough path.
Speaking in Mlolongo, Machakos County on Wednesday, Uhuru said that the truce has not been welcomed by everyone, with some finding it wrong and questioning it.
He said that their Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) has earned him enemies, but proceeded to defend it, saying there was a need to unite the nation, which he could not do singlehandedly.
He termed this the reason why he reached out to the former Prime Minister, likening Kenya to an elephant which cannot be handled by one person but needs several other hands.
“Some people feel I did wrong by joining hands with other leaders like Raila. I called them because Kenya is bigger than all of us. Kenya is an elephant, and it can’t be handled by just one person. We are not talking about BBI because of elections, but so that Kenyans can live in peace and unity,” he said.
And with the BBI taskforce team set to hand it its proposals soon, Uhuru insisted that he remains committed to making the initiative a reality, adding that he will see to it that it is realised.
He termed the initiative a journey they will push until the end, arguing that it does not seek to benefit him as is being said, but is solely aimed at benefiting the nation.
The president cautioned Kenyans against being misled on the intentions of the BBI, saying that its goal is to ensure that there is lasting peace after elections, which has not been the case previously.
"That road (BBI), Raila and I with other leaders shall complete. Do not be misled, love your country, love and respect yourselves. I am confident we shall accomplish the mission,” he added.
The task force is expected to hand over its findings after crisscrossing the nation collecting views from Kenyans regarding the nation's recurrent political problems. It's also expected to propose the best remedies to the same.
Among those who have questioned the handshake and the BBI is Deputy President William Ruto, who initially claimed that Raila was using it to break the ruling Jubilee Party.