Opposition leader Raila Odinga and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru have agreed to ease their strained relationship. Raila and Waiguru have not been best of friends after he linked her to the multi-million scandal at the National Youth Service (NYS). Opposition leader Raila Odinga is now off the hook after Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru ‘withdrew’ a case she had sued him.
Through a Twitter post, Governor Waiguru announced that they finally agreed to settle their court differences in the spirit of the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Opposition leader. “Just had a meeting with former Prime Minister H.E Right Honorable Raila Odinga on the outstanding matter in court. In the spirit of cohesion and reconciliation in the country, the matter stands settled. The Spirit of the National Handshake lives on,” she tweeted.
Held a meeting with Governor @AnneWaiguru and agreed to “let by-gones be by-gones” and leave the matter of the NYS scandal in the hands of investigators. She said her case against me is now settled in the spirit of reconciliation that the nation has embarked on. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/D56SP2qcLX
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) November 14, 2018
The scandal erupted during Waiguru’s tenure as Devolution CS. She has since denied any wrongdoing. Yesterday, Waiguru met Raila at his Capitol Hill office, where the two agreed to work together and continue spreading the message of reconciliation. The leaders said they buried the hatchet in the spirit of last March 9 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila, who was recently appointed African Union Special Envoy for Infrastructure.
Raila, through his Twitter handle, said: “I held a meeting with Governor Anne Waiguru and agreed to let bygones be bygones and leave the matter of the NYS scandal in the hands of investigators. She said her case against me is now settled in the spirit of reconciliation that the country has embarked on.” Waiguru said she would withdraw the defamation case she filed against the former Prime Minister in 2015.
The governor had claimed Raila defamed her character by associating her with embezzlement of Sh791 million at NYS, when she headed the ministry. Waiguru also took to twitter to break the news of her meeting with Raila: “Just had a meeting with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on the outstanding matter in court. In the spirit of cohesion and reconciliation in the country, the matter stands settled.” The two later posted a picture shaking hands.
Raila had also filed a suit to have the governor subjected to a lifestyle audit. He wanted her to indicate the properties she owned and her total income when she headed the ministry. The case was dismissed a year ago. In February, Waiguru asked the High Court to proceed with the case she filed against Raila in her efforts to clear her name. Waiguru also sued Raila’s colleagues in the Opposition; former senators Boni Khalwale and Johnson Muthama, for linking her to the theft. But during yesterday’s meeting, Raila and Waiguru did not talk about the cases against Khalwale and Muthama.
Raila Odinga and Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru have agreed to share the NYS cash she stole.. With a signed deal pic.twitter.com/bcSp4UL7pW
— Japheth (@japheth_bor) November 15, 2018
Waiguru has reconciled with Deputy President William Ruto, who had also linked her to the NYS scandal. There have been claims that Ruto may pick Waiguru as his running mate in 2022 following their reconcilliaion. Raila and Waiguru said they also discussed the status of devolution in Kenya during their meeting, and agreed to exchange views frequently on how to address the challenges facing counties.
ODM LEADER Odinga meets with Governor Waiguru; say they have agreed to let bygones be bygones leaving NYS scandal in the hands of investigators. pic.twitter.com/8fkbouK2tD
— TLS Family (@TeamShabaan) November 15, 2018