President William Ruto now wants the Opposition to fulfil two key conditions ahead of the planned dialogue between the government and the opposition.
Speaking on Monday, Ruto who was addressing Mukurwe-ini residents in Nyeri said the country will move forward as long as there is no talks of a handshake and the opposition denounces protests.
"If we agree on those two, then we can proceed as a country. We can discuss the rest of the things," Ruto said.
In his address, Ruto said he had noted Azimio la Umoja was also against the handshake, which is a good step.
He said if this is done, the two sides of the political divide can address any other issues that remain.
He added that all they need to do is denounce violence and destruction of property.
"Nimeskia wale watu wa kitendawilli na maandamano wamekubali jana mambo ya handshake hata hao hawataki. Hio tumekubaliana. Jambo la pili nataka niwaambie pia tukubaliane mambo ya vita na fujo na kuharibu mali na biashara ya watu pia tukubaliane tukomeshe katika taifa letu la Kenya," the President said.
On Thursday last week, in a letter inviting the Kenya Kwanza team for initial talks, Kalonzo Musyoka who will lead the Azimio team listed five key issues for discussion.
They include the cost of living, audit of the 2022 Presidential Election Results, restructuring and reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and related matters, measures to prevent interference with political parties, and outstanding constitutional matters - governance issues, adequate checks and balances, and the question of boundaries delimitation.
The Kenya Kwanza team had also listed five issues including the reconstitution of the IEBC Commission, implementation of two-thirds gender rule, entrenchment of Constituency Development Fund and the establishment, entrenchment of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and embedment of the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary.
