The United States Embassy in Kenya has lauded President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga over their commitment to peaceful dialogue to address a recent standoff that saw the latter call for mass action in the country.

In a tweet on Monday, April 3, 2023, US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman welcomed the agreement between the two leaders to establish a bipartisan parliamentary committee to find lasting solutions to the opposition’s issues.

Whitman further called on leaders in President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Raila’s Azimio coalition to support the process.

“We welcome the agreement by President Ruto and former PM Raila Odinga to establish a bipartisan process to find solutions that benefit all Kenyans. We commend both leaders for their commitment to peaceful dialogue, and call on all parties to support this process,” Whitman said just days after a US delegation led by Senator Chris Coons, who is credited for brokering a truce between Raila and former President Uhuru Kenyatta, met the former premier and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Nairobi over the recent standoff.

We welcome the agreement by President Ruto and former PM Raila Odinga to establish a bipartisan process to find solutions that benefit all Kenyans. We commend both leaders for their commitment to peaceful dialogue, and call on all parties to support this process.

— U.S. Ambassador Meg Whitman (@USAmbKenya) April 3, 2023

The US issued the statement a day after Raila accepted Ruto’s olive branch and calls for dialogue to address, among other issues, the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Speaking in Nairobi on Sunday, Raila, while calling off anti-government demonstrations that had been scheduled for (Monday) today, demanded that the bipartisan committee proposed by Ruto be established immediately.

The opposition supremo, however, warned that Azimio would return to the streets within a week should the talks fail.

“We agree that a balanced parliamentary process co-chaired by both sides and backed by experts from outside should proceed. In our view, this committee should be composed with immediate effect with strict deadlines for resolving the crisis facing the country,” Raila said.

“In view of the foregoing, we stand down our demonstrations for Monday but in doing so we want to emphasise that we reserve the right to call for demonstrations should this process bear no fruit. Should there be no meaningful engagement or response from Hon Ruto to our counter-offer, we’ll resolve to resume our demonstrations after one week.”

President Ruto had earlier said the protests called by the opposition chief to push for electoral and economic reforms had left a trail of destruction and loss of lives, threatening the country’s economic stability.

“Three Kenyans, among them a police officer have lost their lives in the protests. More than four hundred Kenyans, including at least 60 security officers have been injured. A Police vehicle was burnt to ashes, while another was hijacked and commandeered by unruly protestors. Two houses of worship were burnt down. Kiosks, supermarkets and a mortuary were looted.

“Our Country’s image and history in the league of Modern Nations has been at stake. The Country’s economy has been hard hit, at a time when my administration is doing everything possible to salvage the economy from the deep hole it was in.

He called on the opposition leader to call off further protests to give dialogue a chance.

“I have listened to the issues raised by my friend, the Honorable Raila Odinga, in times like these, it is not about who is right or who is wrong,” Ruto said in a State of the Nation address from State House on Monday.

“In view of the recent events that led to the loss of lives and property in the demonstrations, I urge my brother Raila Odinga and the opposition to call off the demonstrations and to give this bi-partisan approach a chance for us to take the country forward.”