UDA MPs Say Olusegun Obasanjo Has No Moral Authority To Address Kenyan Issues: "Nigeria Has Serious Concerns"

• Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga and President William Ruto confirmed meeting to initiate dialogue to calm political tensions
• Azimio la Umoja said that they had brought on board former Nigerian president olusegun Obasanjo because they felt Kenya Kwanza was dishonest and would not keep their word
• Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai and his Sabatia counterpart Clement Sloya said that Olusegun Obasanjo had no moral authority to mediate peace when Nigeria had serious issues pending

A section of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MPs have downplayed the significance of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in mediating President William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Party leader Raila Odinga.

William Ruto, Raila Odinga dialogue

Ruto and Raila confirmed that they met at a neutral place in Mombasa after which they agreed to form a five-member team each to dialogue on issues that have caused a huge rift and threatened the country's political stability and unity in the recent past.

Obasanjo was also sent to Kenya by the International Community in 2018 to help mediate Raila and former president, now turned friend, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking in Vihiga on Sunday, July 30, Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai said that Obasanjo had no moral authority to midwife truce between Raila and Ruto, as Nigeria had more worse challenges than Kenya.

He anchored his dismissal on the saying "charity begins at home", arguing that Obasanjo should address the political stability challenges in Nigeria first before offering himself to help solve a "small matter" in Kenya.

Olusegun Obasanjo in Kenya for mediation

"He lacks the capacity and has no moral authority to mediate as he has failed to unite his compatriots back in Nigeria. There have been gun fights and issues of extreme groups in Nigeria which is a bigger concern than demonstrations in Kenya where only stones are used. He should deal with Nigeria first," Mbai stated.

The second term Ruto allied legislator said that Kenya ought to address her own issues without involvement of outsiders.

Mbai maintained that if there ought to be any talks between Raila and Ruto, then they must be held in an open environment in full glare of cameras adding that the Opposition leader was used to seeking to ascend to power through the backdoor.

His sentiments were echoed by Sabati MP Clement Sloya who said that as much as dialogue between Raila and Ruto was fundamental in reducing the fast rising political temperatures, the issues of discussion should be justice for the Kenyan people, thus no need to involve outsiders.

Raila Odinga, William Ruto power sharing talks

"We have a government voted in. We urge our president not be tricked to get into discussions to share power. We sold our manifesto, campaigned and won as Kenya Kwanza. We don't want comment who want to get into power through the backdoor.

"If there should be any discussions, they should be about rights of the people. I ask the president that dialogue is good to reduce the political temperatures but not share power," Sloya said.

This comes at a time that Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance and Ruto's Kenya Kwanza have differed on the basis of conversation, the former having demanded that cost of living and punishment of police involved in terrorising demonstrators.

Former Agriculture CS Peter Munya disclosed to the press that cost of living and electoral injustices were the point of departure between Azimio la Umoja and Kenya Kwanza.

He explained that Obasanjo was brought in because of "trust deficit", accusing Kenya Kwanza of failing to keep their word and determined to manipulate the dialogue, thus a need for a respected outsider as a mediator.