Kenya: Kenyatta and Odinga pledge reconciliation

BBC.COM | Friday March 9, 2018 13:50

 

Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga spoke on national TV after holding their first public meeting since the poll.

About 150 people were killed in the aftermath of the disputed election.

Earlier this year, Mr Odinga swore himself in as the 'people's president' and refused to recognise election winner Mr Kenyatta as head of state.

Until now, both had dismissed calls for talks.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to arrive in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, later on Friday.

In their joint address, President Kenyatta referred to Mr Odinga as his 'brother'.

Mr Kenyatta said: 'We will begin a process of discussing what ails us and what creates division amongst us.'

Mr Odinga said it was 'time to resolve our differences'.

President Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term last November. He won an election re-run in October, which Mr Odinga had boycotted.

Elections were first held in August but the courts ordered a re-run, saying Mr Kenyatta's victory was marred by irregularities.

Mr Odinga said that nothing had been changed before the re-run.