Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga reached out to Deputy President William Ruto four times before engaging President Uhuru Kenyatta moments after 2017 polls, the former has claimed.
Mr Odinga and Uhuru reconciled last year in March, a move that caught most of their lieutenants unprepared. They have since invited that their decision was guided by nationalism.
At Citizen TV interview on Wednesday, Dr Ruto however said he declined Odinga's offer ajf directed him to Uhuru. Also, he said, he was suspicious of Odinga's intentions.
"The president consulted me first on the handshake. In fact, former Prime Minister tried to reach me four times after elections for talks but I declined. I referred him to the president because we were no longer in a coalition," said Ruto.
He added: "I also suspected his intentions that's why I decided to decline his proposal to have us engage. When Uhuru picked his first cabinet, Raila even suggested to me that I was shortchanged."
In previous interviews, Mr Odinga has often maintained that the handshake was strictly between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta, adding that no one else was involved in the historical reunion.
Raila and Ruto have been at loggerheads over the handshake with the latter often claiming that the Handshake was crafted to block his 2022 political ambitions.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday during an address to parliament, said he will not turn back in the handshake deal. He asked the house to approve Sh10 billion for Building Bridges Initiative.
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