Kenyan president and opposition leader meet in bid to heal divisions

The Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, has met the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, in public for the first time since last year’s disputed elections, with the pair promising to heal the country’s divisions.

The surprise meeting at Kenyatta’s office in Nairobi on Friday ended with the symbolic appearance of the two men standing side by side to deliver a joint statement.

Calling each other “brother”, they announced a plan for a programme to overcome deep and longstanding ethnic and political divides, but provided few details of what it might involve.

“We have come to a common understanding, an understanding that this country of Kenya is greater than any one individual, and that for this country to come together leaders must come together,” Kenyatta said.

Odinga, who spoke first, expressed similar sentiments. “Throughout our independence history, we have had doubts on how we have conducted our affairs in the face of a growing divide along ethnic, religious and political lines. Regrettably, we have responded to our challenges by mostly running away from them.

Source: theguardian