Raila Odinga, the head of the Azimio, reportedly wanted half of the cabinet secretaries, ambassadorial, and PS seats in order to halt the weekly mass protest, according to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In an interview with Inooro TV on Sunday, April 16, Gachagua said that Senator Christopher Coons, who represents US Vice President Joe Biden, made the demand.
When President William Ruto was out of the country, Raila and Gachagua were both met by the Delaware senator, who is experienced in Kenyan political deal-making.
After former President Donald Trump's demonstrations descended into chaos and Joe Biden won the American presidential election, Gachagua remarked in the interview, "I reminded Coons that Biden did not sit down with Trump to deliberate on a handshake."
According to the DP, he informed the US senator that giving Raila a platform to debate a method of power sharing would be counterproductive to Kenya's expensive five-year election cycle.
"I informed the senator that instead of taking part in a pricey event every five years, we would better sit down with Raila to debate who should receive what post."
"Kenya's elections cost Sh30 billion, and it would be futile to hold elections every year only to discuss power-sharing," he remarked.
Gachagua, though, said that Raila would only be given an audience if President Ruto made it clear that he was prepared to leave politics.
He claims that Ruto is prepared and eager to talk about the former prime minister's retirement entitlements with the administration.
Gachagua said, "We can only have discussions with Raila to explore how the government can provide him with a security detail, several vehicles, and retirement advantages."
"We cannot discuss an election that we fairly won; let him wait until 2027."
He said that despite Azimio's threats to report him to the ICC over allegations of abusing the police department, he is not scared by them.
He said that in his capacity as Deputy President, he will continue to defend the possessions of protesters.
"We will restrain them when they begin their disorderly demonstrations, just like we did during their protests."
"We won't let them enter Nairobi's Central Business District to watch while massive amounts of private property are destroyed."
He said that using force to repress the opposition during demonstrations, which was violating the rights of others, was legal.
"The demands they are making to justify the protests are not genuine; all they want is to gain access to power through a back door, and we shall not entertain them," Gachagua added.
"They have been successful in the past, but they won't be this time."
Gachagua also denied being a hardliner in the president's wing, claiming that if he and Ruto shook hands with Raila, they would both meet the same end as previous president Uhuru Kenyatta.
One who has been bitten by a snake feels terrified when he sees a rope, said Gachagua. "The President is fully aware that the people of my region refused Uhuru because of Raila, and we can't afford to repeat the same mistake."
Gachagua now asserts that he is the political arm of the Kenya Kwanza administration's de facto spokesman and that both his boss and the electorate support him.
"I speak on behalf of our political wing, and when I say there won't be a handshake, that is our political stand."
"All people, including witches, priests, and all others, look up to the president."
His comments come as the opposition has suggested organised negotiations that would resemble those that Kofi Annan oversaw during the post-election violence that occurred in early 2008 and gave rise to the Grand Coalition administration.
Raila has also urged for the bipartisan negotiations to be expanded to include political figures outside of parliament and to address other concerns in addition to the election process.
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