Kenya This Week: Raila Odinga Endorses Bipartisan Report, Other Trending Stories

• The 10-member team said in a joint statement sent to newsrooms on Saturday, November 25, that their four months of negotiations had resulted in the friendly decision
• President William Ruto will designate opposition leader Raila Odinga and anticipated occupant Musalia Mudavadi (prime cabinet secretary) to the two positions
• Also this week, an Irish national identified as Gabriel Dolan living in Kenya accused President Ruto of ignoring Kenya's pleas to reduce the cost of living

Dennis Lubanga, a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than 10 years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

This week, the creation of the positions of Prime Minister and Leader of the Official Opposition was suggested by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO).

The 10-member team said in a joint statement sent to newsrooms on Saturday, November 25, that their four months of negotiations had resulted in the friendly decision to establish both offices to promote national unity between the administration and the opposition.

President William Ruto will designate opposition leader Raila Odinga and anticipated occupant Musalia Mudavadi to the two positions, which are now awaiting confirmation by the National Assembly.

Also this week, an Irish national living in Kenya accused President Ruto of ignoring Kenya's pleas to reduce the cost of living.

We look at these and other trending stories that made headlines this week, including the arrest of Raila die-hard supporter Nuru Okanga.

1. Raila Odinga Throws Weight Behind Bipartisan Report

The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader approved the report of the national dialogue talks despite their failure to address pertinent issues, including the cost of living.

Speaking after the Azimio parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday, November 29, Raila stated that the document was incomplete and unfinished but would focus on other ways to press the government to address the issue.

Commenting on the importance of government restructuring, Raila said that the constitution allows for a referendum to be carried out to create the offices of the leader of the opposition and legalise the office of the prime cabinet secretary.

"To create the office of the leader of the opposition or to formalise the office of the prime cabinet secretary, the people of Kenya have to have their say by way of a referendum," he said.

2. Mzungu Man Shreds Ruto for Subjecting Kenyans to Hardship

Also this week, Gabriel Dolan expressed in fluent Swahili that Kenyans are tired and lack the energy to continue fighting for justice.

"Kenyans are extremely worn out by this government. Initially, they grew weary but remained mobile. Presently, they are experiencing defeat because of the government's actions; introducing a new tax every day has compelled us to accept it," decried the human rights defender.

Dolan also claimed that the opposition government has failed to challenge and hold the government accountable for its wrongdoing effectively.

"There is no opposition. The government gets to run away with everything. So we are all alone. We would rather wake up because we have to carry our own cross," he advised.

3. Nuru Okanga Charged with Insulting Ruto

Okanga was charged with one count of publication of false information, contrary to Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act.

According to the prosecution, Okanga's claims, as captured in a video, were false and calculated to discredit the reputation of a state officer with the intent to provoke a breach of peace.

As the week went to the wire, Okanga called out detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who arrested him.

"Mimi nataka kuomba DCI wale walinishika. Mlinifanyia madharau. Sheria ya Kenya inasema kama mtu amekaidi amri ndio mnaeza mvuruga. Hamuwezi nitoa kwa bafu mbele ya familia yangu ikiona uchi wangu. (I want to tell the DCI officers who arrested me that you wronged me. You can't forcefully drag me out of the bathroom and parade me before my family)," Okanga said.

4. US Journalist Sheds Light on Claims US Is Investigating Uhuru

This week, former Soy MP Caleb Kositany was put on the spot for using a fake news article to drive a narrative against retired president Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kositany, who currently chairs the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) board, published on X a screengrab of a purported Finance Times story headlined "US Federal Reserve opens investigation on Kenya's 2014 $2.75 billion Euro bond."

The byline the article was attributed to belongs to Demetri Sevastopulo, a Financial Times correspondent based in the United States.

Coming out to clear the air, Demetri denounced the writings, saying they were not his.

5. KMJA Slams Police for Failing to Arrest Peter Salasya

As the week came to an end, the Kenya Magistrate's and Judges Association (KMJA) called out the Inspector General of Police for failing to arrest Mumias East MP Peter Salasya.

Through the law firm of Danstan Omari and Associates Advocates, the association wrote to the Director of Public Prosecution, demanding that he direct IG Japheth Koome to arrest Salasya.

KMJA accused the police and the DCI of inaction, wondering whether the youthful MP was above the law even after he was allegedly seen daring the police to arrest him while flashing KSh 500,000.

"Hon. Peter Salasya has gone ahead to boast publicly that no one can arrest him and that nothing can be done to him. The same is interpreted by our client to be a mockery of our security and justice organs in the country and portrays the said national institutions as weak and incapable of enforcing the law," the letter to the DPP reads.