The truce that never was: Will new plan last?

From Left: Cord's leader Raila Odinga, Deputy President William Ruto and President Uhuru Kenyatta.   PHOTOS|FILE|NATION MEDIA GROUP

By BERNARD NAMUNANE
Posted  Friday, August 9  2013 at  23:30

The truce ended before the ink on the ceasefire agreement had dried.

President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto started their presidency by holding out an olive branch to former Premier Raila Odinga and his running mate, former VP Kalonzo Musyoka.

After being sworn-in in April, the President invited the two Cord leaders to State House in an effort to ease political temperatures that built up during the campaigns.

State House sources on Friday said President Kenyatta requested the two to execute their politics without dividing the country. That while they were free to criticise the government as the opposition; they were expected to put Kenya first.

In return, the government would provide security and other privileges, such as retaining government vehicles.

The truce did not last long.

Cord soon sought to assert itself by taking on the government over the implementation of the Constitution, devolution and other topical issues.

Mr Odinga was locked out of VIP lounges at the airport on the orders of senior civil servants. The former PM and the former VP were then denied their retirement package by Jubilee MPs who argued that if the two were to benefit, they should not be active in politics.

Before long, the government sought to repossess State vehicles. With the heavy rumbling of the political salvos being replaced by quiet deliberations between Mr Odinga and Mr Kenyatta, maybe a new truce might last longer.