We can't afford maandamano, Sakaja says amid reports of collapsing talks

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja now says that with the current state of the economy, Kenya cannot afford another wave of protests.

Speaking on Wednesday, Sakaja said revenues are dropping, many Kenyans are jobless and adding protests will not help lower the cost of living.

He insisted that blame games will only make the situation worse, and by the end of it all, there will be no country.

Sakaja said that it is easy to destroy a country than to build it, as he called on leaders to put the interests of the country first.

"The president (William Ruto) is someone who has experience and wisdom. Raila also has his experience and they are all leaders loved by Kenyans. Let us put the country first... I see the newspapers saying bipartisan talks flop... to destroy is easier than to build. I remember the president saying that it is not about who is right, it is about what must be done for the country."

"If we start shifting blame, by the time we are done there will be no country. At a time like this, with how our economy is, we can't afford maandamano (protests)... I'm praying God speaks to those leaders... Those who were picked are the ones who will solve these issues," Sakaja said on Radio Citizen.

The Nairobi Governor was among the first people to call for talks between Ruto and Raila Odinga.

On Tuesday, President Ruto and Raila's troops in the bipartisan team had a sharp disagreement, which led to the halting of peace talks indefinitely.

The two sides were unable to strike a deal on the inclusion of Eldas MP Adan Keynan and his Pokot South counterpart David Pkosing to the panel.

This was the second time in two weeks the committee had failed to address the issue of membership.

The team, however, agreed on having a joint secretariat. Azimio fronted lawyer Paul Mwangi. Kenya Kwanza is to consult and submit a name.