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Kenya's Political Leaders Talk Unity, Healing Divisions

by Daniel Schearf

   NAIROBI --

   Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga met
   Friday in an apparent effort to settle months of violent post-election
   tensions. The meeting came just hours before a visit by U.S. Secretary
   of State Rex Tillerson.

   In the surprise meeting, Kenyatta and Odinga agreed to work toward
   unifying the country after last year's divisive presidential election.
   The two Kenyan leaders, who spoke separately after the talks and did
   not take questions, acknowledged the country was heading in the wrong
   direction.

   Odinga - who has refused to recognize Kenyatta as president --
   paraphrased U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. He said Kenyans needed to
   know where they are and where they want to go before they can better
   judge what to do and how to do it.

   "Fifty-four years since independence, we are challenged to audit our
   progress toward the ideals for which our fathers fought to establish a
   free and independent country and for which many of our compatriots
   died."
   As leaders, said Odinga, they had a duty to reflect on their
   performance in reaching Kenya's goals since independence - justice,
   unity, peace, liberty, and prosperity for all.

   Healing divisions

   Kenyatta said the two men came to a common understanding that for Kenya
   to come together its leaders must come together.

   "And this is what me and my brother have agreed - that starting today
   we will begin a process of bringing our people together. That we will
   begin a process discussing what ails us and what creates division
   amongst us," Keyatta said.

   On the streets of Nairobi, Kenyans also welcomed the leaders' agreeing
   to work together.

   "It's a really good step towards harmonizing the country. Because, the
   electioneering period has left us divided across the divides -
   supporters of both sides. So, I think it's a really good idea that
   they've met. And, hopefully we can progress from this," said one
   Kenyan.

   "If they resolve their issues, well, that is a good thing. Because we
   need to move forward and as a country. Well, you know, the economy has
   been down. So, if they resolve their issues, well, at least it will
   show that we are moving forward and the issue to do with the election,
   is it behind us," said another.

   Devil in the details

   Kenya was plunged into political crisis after the Supreme Court
   annulled the August presidential election, due to irregularities, and
   Odinga and his supporters boycotted a second round in October.

   Odinga refused to recognize Kenyatta's win and, in January, held a
   rally where his supporters symbolically inaugurated the opposition
   leader as president. Observers feared further division would follow the
   provocative action and the government's crackdown on independent
   television and the opposition.

   Friday's breakthrough came just hours before U.S. Secretary of State
   Rex Tillerson is, for the first time, to visit Kenya. Not a
   coincidence, says independent political analyst Martin Andati.

   "The meeting must have been come out of pressure from the U.S.
   Secretary of State, who is expected here any time. You know the West
   has been very keen on trying to get Uhuru and Raila to meet. So, it
   helps ease the political tensions because the political tensions have
   been very high."

   While Andati says the agreement on unification is significant for
   healing Kenyan politics, the devil will be in the details. We need to
   understand what exactly has been agreed upon, he said, noting the
   Kenyan leaders' statements contained only generalities.