Mugabe meets Raila despite earlier refusal

Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga. He has tabled in Parliament a list of persons who were allocated land in Mau on Wednesday. Photo/FILE

By PMPS
Posted  Friday, April 29 2011 at 20:00

In Summary

• The two leaders held talks focusing on their countries’ common history

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Friday held talks with Zimbawe’s President Robert Mugabe.

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Mr Odinga arrived in Harare on his way to the city of Bulawayo, where he is to open the third national conference of the Movement for Democratic Change.

He arrived at State House, Harare, for a courtesy call on President Mugabe shortly before 1pm, Kenyan time, accompanied by four MPs and one Orange Democratic Movement secretariat official.

The two leaders talked for more than an hour.

Their focus was the similarities in the history of Kenya and Zimbabwe, the struggle for the liberation of Africa, and the continent’s place in world politics.

They also touched on global affairs, especially international trade and events in North Africa and the Middle East.

During the talks, Mr Odinga conveyed greetings from President Kibaki to President Mugabe.

The Zimbabwean president expressed great interest in political developments in Kenya, particularly the unveiling of the new Constitution and said Zimbawe looked up to Kenya for a model in reforming the Constitution.

He said Zimbabwe had always learnt from Kenya, adding that he spent years studying the history of the Mau Mau war of independence.

Earlier, a spokesman had claimed that President Mugabe was not ready to meet the Kenyan Prime minister, because his one-day visit had “nothing to do with him”.

The veteran ruler’s spokesman George Charamba told a privately owned daily newspaper, The Mail, that his boss did not share Mr Odinga’s principles.

“This is merely a visit by Odinga to the MDC, a party that has similar principles with Odinga’s Orange party,” he said.

“It has nothing to do with the president.”

Mr Odinga angered Mr Mugabe in 2008 when he called for the 87-year-old ruler’s ouster.

The state media has gone to great lengths to portray MDC as a violent party.