Hardlines in the Bipartisan parliamentary talks to derail process

The parliament-led bipartisan negotiations agreed between Kenya’s President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga could collapse prematurely after the two parties took hardline positions on various issues even before the first meeting.

Whereas Mr Odinga has announced that mass protests to agitate for a lower cost of living and electoral justice may resume in under two weeks, the government has stated that the talks will strictly deal with the ongoing Reconstitution of independent electoral and boundaries commission.

Azimio la Umoja coalition leader, Raila Odinga, on Tuesday, April 18, stated that they would go ahead to announce the date for the resumption of protests immediately after the Ramadhan festivity.

The Opposition titan accused president William ruto of state capture stating that ruto has weakened Parliament, captured state institutions and co-opted the judiciary to consolidate power.

The Former prime minister told the president that on the contrary, the head of state must remember that power ultimately belonged to the people.

Raila went on to state that Kenyans would now take power back and demand direct accountability from the president William Ruto.

The statement posted on Raila’s social media accounts came few minutes after he led the Azimio Coalition to reject Parliamentary Bipartisan Talks, Saying Protests must Resume After Ramadan

The Azimio la Umoja coalition in a Joint press read by wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka announced that they will not be participating in any parliamentary processes regarding the bipartisan talks, claiming that Kenya Kwanza has shown a lack of transparency.

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka stated that they now want out of parliament talks since Kenya Kwanza has shown no intention to hold honest dialogues.

This decision, Kalonzo added, was met after they got wind of a motion Kenya Kwanza has drafted which they say is “allegedly aimed at setting up a joint select committee in Parliament.”

He went on to state that they were not consulted in its drafting and that it was made in “absolute bad faith”.

(“The motion purports to name members of the Minority Party to the so-called select committee without any reference to the Minority leadership in violation of the Standing Orders of both houses,” he said.

Kalonzo claimed that the motion in question purports to set the terms of reference and scope of the discussions without any reference to azimio members of parliament in both houses hence none shall be party to any other process and particularly not the one proposed in the  they bring to the table cannot be dictated by the Kenya Kwanza camp.

He reiterated that Azimio shall remain firm on its demands, adding that they shall not allow the talks to digress from addressing the issues at hand.

“Our issues remain what we said before and they are reduction in the cost of unga, fuel, electricity and school fees, opening and audit of IEBC servers, bipartisan reform and constitution of IEBC, reinstatement of the 4 IEBC commissioners and end to the buying of MPs which threatens multiparty democracy,” said Kalonzo.

The Wiper leader went on to note that Kenya Kwanza has exhibited bad faith from the beginning of setting up the bipartisan talks, and will be resuming their weekly protests once the Ramadan period ends.

“The coalition shall resume its weekly protests at the end of Ramadhan and further communication in this regard will follow,” he said.

In the meantime, Azimio has instructed its chairperson Otiendo Omollo “to formally invite the Kenya Kwanza meeting for a meeting to set ground rules for the (extra-parliamentary) talks”

The ODINGA led team was pressured to resume countrywide mass action due to what the coalition termed as a lack of seriousness by President William Ruto in addressing opposition grievances.

Some Pro-government leaders had, nonetheless, dared Azimio to proceed with protests, adamant that they would not be coerced into giving in to opposition demands.

However president Ruto urged Raila to call off the protests on Monday, proposing a bipartisan parliamentary sitting to allow the opposition to air their grievances.

President William Ruto had said that if using the term ‘my brother’ when he refers to opposition leader Raila Odinga will help quell the anti-government protests then he will do so many times over.

This he said during an Iftar dinner with the Muslim community in State House on Monday night, stating that the protests are derailing efforts the government is making towards revamping the high cost of living among other issues ailing Kenyans.

On the membership of the National Dialogue Kenya Kwanza and Azimio each nominated seven members to form the 14-member committee handling the mediation. Nonetheless, Azimio added that each party shall at any time have the power to recall any of its members and appoint a new one, with decisions made through consensus and based on the principle of equality.

Azimio bipartisan team is led by Otiende Amolo while Kenya Kwanza is led by Senator Bonny Khalwale.

President Ruto’s government endeavored to reinstate UNGA subsidy When government allowed traders to import a maize and other food commodity tax free so that when they sell it to the consumer it’s cheaper.

Several UNGA brands such as umi also branded toxin safe according to the government now retails at 159 shillings in various shops around the town

Maisha Television Editorial Desk

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