Ruto Announces Six-Day Talks to Address Kenya’s Anti-Government Protests, Participants To Bear Own Costs

Kenya’s President William Ruto announced six-day talks starting Monday, July 15, 2024, to address the recent wave of anti-government protests.

“This will be a six-day forum and will propose the way forward for the country. In the interest of living within our means, all participants will bear their own costs of attendance,” Ruto stated while addressing the media at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

The dialogue, announced on Tuesday, would involve 150 representatives from various sectors and focus on issues such as poor governance, corruption, tribalism, youth unemployment, and ballooning public debt. In a bid to appease the youth demanding his removal from State House, the Head of State said at least 50 seats at the forum would be reserved for young people.

“We’ve agreed that to bring the country together, we will move ahead with the multi-sectorial forum,” he said after signing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi.

The talks were backed by Kenya’s opposition, led by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance leader Raila Odinga. “We’ve agreed that a dialogue is the way forward out of the crisis that we’re having in our country,” Mr Odinga, who attended the bill-signing ceremony alongside other leaders, said.

Source ~ Nation Africa

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