Government Cagey on President Suluhu Mediation Mission
By Mwakwaya Raymond
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
The government has rubbished reports of keeping the Tanzania President Samia Suluhu on the doldrum when she came calling to mediate between President William Ruto and opposition chief Raila Odinga.
Responding to media questions in Mombasa on July 26, 2023, the government spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, however, declined to confirm nor deny whether the Tanzanian visited the country on a peace mission.
He rubbished the Azimio-One Kenya leader’s disclosure of snubbing President Suluhu saying he was the only one in a position to substantiate his revelation.
“I cannot comment on such allegations of whether Tanzanian President was around or snubbed cause am not privy to that information so I would suggest you seek clarification from the source whom I believe you know him very well.”
While addressing international media on July 25, 2023 in Nairobi, the former prime minister claimed that President Ruto snubbed his Tanzanian counterpart when she came two weeks ago to mediate a truce between the government and the opposition to find a lasting solution to the ongoing protects countrywide.
But in a rejoinder on the same day President Ruto indicated through a tweet that he was ready and willing to engage with his arch-rival at Odinga’s convenience.
Meanwhile, a five-day tour programme for the president has been released starting on thursday, July 27, 2023 in Lamu County where he’s expected to give out cheques to fishing community at Mokowe area.
Briefing the media at Mombasa State House on July 26, 2023, Mohamed says the President will issue grants to common interest groups of four counties amounting to Sh552,223,798 million.
This comes in the wake of earlier grants worth Sh320m at the beginning of the year and later this year he is expected to issue another round of grants worth Sh621m to fishing groups in the region.
In Kilifi County, he will commission a fish landing site to boost the development of the blue economy and fisheries value chain: a critical component of his transformation agenda.
From Lamu, the President will proceed to Ngao in Tana River County to commission the rehabilitated Sailoni headwork’s and rubber dam before inspecting the ongoing rehabilitation of water delivery systems and farm restoration works at the Tana Delta Irrigation project (TDIP).
This project is undertaken under a public private partnership, (PPP) framework to open up 12,000 hectares of land for rice irrigation, with an expected production capacity of 84,000 metric tonnes of rice per year.
It will significantly reduce rice imports by 35 per cent to bolster the government’s food security agenda, and generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for over 8,000 locals.
In Kwale County, the President is expected to fulfill his Jamhuri Day last year pledge to address the status of the Pemba community in Kenya.
On July 28, 2023, he will issue identification documents to the members of Pemba community to be categorised as the growing communities of Kenya’s demography.
On July 29, 2023, the President will preside over the rededication ceremony of KNS Shupavu a Kenyan Navy warship that underwent a comprehensive refit at the Kenya Shipyards Limited in Mombasa.
This is the first warship since independence to be refit locally, leveraging on local expertise and will go a long way in affirming the vision of Kenya Shipyards Limited to be a leading catalyst in the ship building industry, in East and Central Africa.
On the same day in Mombasa County, he will preside over the launch of a local vehicle assembly line and chair a meeting bringing together port users and other port stakeholders.
