A possible brightening in the tumultuous sky of politics and consequently of Kenya's social and economic instability. Opposition leader Raila Odinga announced over the weekend that he had agreed to the opening of a discussion table with the government to find a solution to the period of crisis that led to the street protests (which he organized, by the way) that have resulted in 27 deaths since April, according to estimates by human rights organizations, and at least 50 according to the opposition itself.
The protests have also led, by demonstrators, to the destruction of public and private property, with more than forty police vehicles burned, two stations stormed, and some 300 officers more or less seriously injured, and one dead. All this in demonstrations that were announced as peaceful but in which, on both sides, there was no such intention from the beginning.
Now we are finally seeing some light, after a series of diplomatic meetings with foreign ambassadors, headed by the Americans and British, brought the opposing factions closer together. Decisive, according to Kenyan media reports, was the final input in the mediation by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had several meetings with both sides.
It had been Odinga himself, after the first invitation left by Ruto via twitter a few days earlier ("My friend, I am ready to meet you anytime you want," he had written) who had replied that he did not trust the current president and would be in favor of a confrontation only in the presence of a mediator.
It is now unclear whether it will be the two leaders who will meet, which is unlikely, or an ad hoc committee will be formed composed of parliamentarians from both sides and superpartisan elements.
"We affirm our commitment to adhere to the constitution and the rule of law. We are determined to resolve our differences amicably for the good of all our people," Odinga said, however. Meanwhile, there has been no announcement of a resumption of the weekly protests, and that is the first piece of very good news.