Raila Proposes August Talks with Delegates from All 47 Counties to Address National Crisis
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for a nationwide dialogue set to begin in August, bringing together 40 delegates from each of Kenya’s 47 counties in a bid to address what he termed as a growing political and social crisis.
Speaking during a funeral service in Bomet on Saturday, Raila said the country needs a broad-based and inclusive conversation that reflects Kenya’s full diversity. The former Prime Minister proposed that half of the delegates be youth, with the remaining slots filled by elders, women, persons with disabilities, farmers, businesspeople, and members of civil society.
“This should not just be intergenerational, it must be representative of Kenya’s full diversity,” Raila stated. “I have proposed that each county send 40 people — 20 youth and 20 others drawn from various segments of our society.”
Raila said the talks should commence next month, warning that continued disregard for the voices of disillusioned youth could lead the country down a dangerous path. He stressed that the ongoing youth-led protests stem from legitimate frustrations that must be addressed through dialogue, not force.
“These young people are not just protesting for the sake of it. They are our children. We must listen to them and talk,” he said. “We do not want to head into the 2027 elections with even more bitterness. Hasira ni hasara.”
Rejecting the increasingly popular slogan “Ruto must go,” Raila asserted that the removal of President William Ruto would not solve the systemic problems Kenya faces.
“Ruto must go is not a solution. Even if you put Gachagua there, nothing will change unless we deal with the root causes,” he said, referring to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Raila further criticised Gachagua’s controversial comments about power-sharing, reiterating that Kenya belongs to all its citizens.
“Kenya is for every Kenyan — Luo, Kikuyu, Somali, Kalenjin, Mijikenda, or Maasai. No one owns this country. We must build it together or watch it fall apart,” Raila warned.
The proposed talks, first announced during the recent Saba Saba commemorations, aim to craft a set of “irreducible reforms” that would tackle issues such as police brutality, judicial inefficiency, corruption, and youth unemployment. Raila recommended that the outcomes of the dialogue be subjected to a national referendum to ensure public ownership.
However, some lawmakers have dismissed the proposal, arguing that change should come through the ballot. Former Deputy President Gachagua described the plan as a diversion from democratic accountability, calling on Kenyans to prepare for the 2027 general elections instead.
Despite the criticism, Raila remains adamant that dialogue is the only path toward lasting solutions. “We must fix the foundation or we will continue rebuilding a collapsing house,” he concluded.
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Raila Proposes August Talks with Delegates from All 47 Counties to Address National Crisis