Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe has defended Azimio leader Raila Odinga's decision to back the National Dialogue Committee's final report.
While likening to the 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila, Murathe said the ODM leader had to put the interests of Kenyans first.
"What is happening through the NADCO is not far from the handshake Raila had with former President Uhuru or the leaders before him," he said.
According to Murathe, there are various things the NADCO did not agree on, but the contents of the report are a good place to begin negotiations, especially on what they agreed on.
He insisted that Raila endorsing the report is him putting the interests of the people of Kenya first, just like he has done in previous elections.
"Raila put it very well that we didn't get everything but it's a start. We want to engage in dialogue. He's putting the country first. It's on record as the history of Raila always putting the country first and not about him.
"When it was Moi's 97 rigging, he agreed to cooperate with Moi to calm things down. When the 2002 elections there was betrayal he agreed to work with Kibaki. Even in the Uhuru government, there had been disputed election and he agrees to the handshake," Murathe said.
He said through the dialogue, the country has somehow stabilised and the high political temperatures have gone down.
"Even in this instance, this is more or less like a handshake because it has calmed the temperatures and people are talking to each other. The country is stable and the country is calm."
Murathe, however, noted that despite the temperatures going down, Kenyans still face many challenges.
He said the people are still struggling to afford basic needs because the cost of living remains high.
Murathe insisted that this is what is going on and something urgently needs to be done.
"The only undercurrent is the grumbling in the ground. The people are unhappy. They can't make ends meet. This cost of living thing, cost of fuel and electricity is high. That is where people are feeling the heat and that is the reality on the ground."
The National Dialogue Committee's report was made public on Saturday.
President Ruto has also vowed to implement the recommendations proposed in the report.
