Jubilee to roll out shuttle diplomacy

Deputy President William Ruto during the funeral of former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru at Kagumo High School on November 18, 2017. Jubilee is planning to roll out shuttle diplomacy after Supreme Court ruling. The delegation is expected to be led by Mr Ruto. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • One of the strategies in the shuttle diplomacy will be to go to foreign capitals.
  • Delegation will be led by Mr Ruto accompanied by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed.

The Jubilee government is planning to roll out an elaborate shuttle diplomacy to counter Nasa’s narrative that it is illegitimately in power.

Top government officials have been lined up to visit foreign capitals both in the region and overseas in the coming weeks.

However, this is dependent on the outcome of Monday’s Supreme Court decision on the petition challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory during the October 26 repeat election.

THIRD ELECTION

The Supreme Court has been hearing two petitions challenging the outcome of the election and Monday’s ruling will determine whether President Kenyatta remains in power or the country goes to a third election.

A ruling in favour of the petitioners will confirm the opposition’s contention that President Kenyatta is in power illegitimately, undermining the very logic of going on a diplomacy shuttle.

Should the ruling go in President Kenyatta’s favour, Jubilee has laid an elaborate plan that will see letters sent out to a number of heads of states inviting them for the swearing in ceremony tentatively scheduled for Tuesday next week.

Sunday Nation learnt that the letters have already been printed and are only awaiting Monday’s verdict.

After the August 8 election, which was hailed by observers as free and credible, several congratulatory messages had been received only for the Supreme Court to burst the bubble by invalidating the election.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Last Friday, top Jubilee politicians held a series of meetings in Nairobi as they strategised on the way forward.

As part of the overall strategy, President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have kept off public affairs as they do not want to pronounce themselves on any matter until after the verdict.

One of the strategies in the shuttle diplomacy will be to go to foreign capitals.

“We have reached a point that our friends in the opposition have created a situation where anything they say is perceived to be correct and what we say is wrong,” said a government official who sought anonymity.

The stop tours in foreign capitals will be to explain to Kenya’s partners that Kenya’s elections were credible, free and fair.

One of the Nasa talking points has been that with a voter turnout of 39 per cent in the repeat presidential election, the election cannot be taken as credible. But Jubilee says the turnout is within the acceptable standards.

The delegations, Sunday Nation learnt will be led by Mr Ruto accompanied by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed.