Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Days after President William Ruto drove from Nairobi to Gatundu to meet his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, a team of envoys have also fleeted to Kiambu County to engage with the former president.

In a statement on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, the former president detailed that he met the UK High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan and the new US Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya in separate meetings.

“Marc Dillard, the new Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, and UK High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan, separately paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency President (Rtd) Uhuru Kenyatta at his Gatundu home,” Uhuru’s statement read in part.

Details of the meeting

According to the former president, the meeting with the envoys was centred around the Nairobi Peace Process and regional peace initiative.

The process is a regional peace initiative aimed at resolving the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It was launched in April 2022 based on the principles of inclusivity, dialogue, ownership, regional leadership, and international support.

After the launch, EAC Heads of State appointed Uhuru as the facilitator of the process. He was tasked with coordinating and leading a comprehensive peace process, involving political dialogue, military interventions, and ensuring inclusivity in the inter-Congolese dialogue.

During his previous engagements, Uhuru met with the DRC government, armed groups, civil society organizations, and the international community to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and negotiation, with a focus on regional leadership from the East African nations.

Meeting with Ruto

The meeting with UK and US diplomats comes days after Ruto made a surprise visit to Gatundu to meet the former president who opposed his candidature in the 2022 elections.

Despite the animosity that existed between the two leaders at the height of the 2022 campaign, they both agreed that they would engage regularly on matters of national interest.

In what appeared like an extension of an olive branch, Uhuru in his statement indicated that he had discussed with Ruto about bringing down the political heat and listening to dissenting voices.

The reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) also featured in the meeting between Uhuru and Ruto.

“President Ruto took the opportunity to reiterate his appreciation and commendation of His Excellency President Kenyatta’s statesmanship in overseeing the peaceful transfer of power after the 2022 elections,” the statement read in part.

“Both leaders acknowledged the challenging global environment affecting many countries, including Kenya, caused by a complex interplay of factors: disruptive effects of COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, which destabilised supply chains and led to high commodity prices, particularly for fertiliser and wheat, volatile currency markets, and a harsh macroeconomic climate,” the statement added.