Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo now wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to stand his ground with regards to his handshake, and closeness with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The duo reached a truce in March 2018, which was, however, not received well by some politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto.
Speaking in Siaya on Thursday, Otiende advised the President to ignore the noises emanating from the opposers of the pact, and not allow himself to be blackmailed by the group.
Speaking during the official opening of Kipaji Talent Centre in Rarieda, the first-term MP also urged Uhuru to concentrate on the legacy he seeks to leave before his retirement in 2022.
He said that the pro-handshake group is ready to cruise without the opposers.
“To them we tell them we will move on with or without you. And to the Head of State, we tell him, don’t be blackmailed, focus on your legacy," he was quoted by the Citizen Digital.
He added that the reasons behind their support for the handshake include the urge to see Kenyans benefit from the government of the day.
“We are now firmly in the handshake so that we can benefit as citizens and also so that we can make the future of this country. But there are those who have benefited and hope to benefit from a country that is not safe, those ones don’t want the handshake, building bridges initiative or any amendment to the Constitution,” he added.
Ruto and team have said that though Uhuru is sincere in his decision to reach the deal with Raila, the former Premier has been using the handshake to import confusion into Jubilee.