NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 13 — The Azimio Coalition has demanded for the expansion of bi-partisan talks to an extra-parliamentary process naming three non-legislators to join its seven-member team of negotiators.
The coalition’s seven-member team led by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo issued the demand on Thursday a day after Azimio leader Raila Odinga said the coalition would resist “a Ruto-controlled Parliament.”
Odinga who had initially committed to bi-partisan talks in Parliament had heeded to President William Ruto’s call to discontinue weekly protest appeared non-committal on Wednesday, unveiling instead a series of public engagements including Town Hall meetings.
Speaking to news reporters at a Nairobi hotel, Amollo insisted that the process cannot be strictly parliamentary citing public participation concerns.
“Our Constitution requires that any engage involved the public there must be public participation. It [talks] can end up in Parliament but it can’t be strictly Parliament. To say that the process is strictly parliamentary is defeatist,” he said.
He said the team had appointed Azimio Spokesperson Makau Mutua and Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni as Assisting Counsel. They also named Odinga’s attorney Paul Mwangi as joint secretary.
The inclusion of three non-lawmakers in Azimio’s team complicates matters with the Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition having insisted that the process must be strictly parliamentary.
Contention over Jubilee
The prospects of talks are further compounded by Azimio’s demand for Kenya Kwanza to drop Eldas MP Adan Kenyan (Jubilee Party) insisting that he belongs to a constituent party of the coalition.
In an apparent move to appease disgruntled members of the Jubilee Party, Azimio included Kioni (Secretary General) who is facing a leadership contest from the party’s lawmakers all of whom have decamped to Ruto’s side.
“Hon Keynan is a member of Azimio. The issue of party discipline is one of the four cardinal issues on the table and his inclusion is in bad faith and intended to delay the process. We therefore request that he be replaced,” Amollo said.
He also decried what he termed as lack of readiness and commitment on the part of Kenya Kwanza citing failure to name a co-chairperson.
“We note the delay in naming the 7-member team and that upto now they have not named their chair leaving us at a loss as to whom to engage,” Amollo stated.
Azimio has also set out four thematic areas it wanted addressed in the bi-partisan talks including the removal of allied MP who have expressed support for government.
The coalition also demanded its involvement in the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and a forensic audit of the agency’s 2022 election servers.
Besides Amollo, other members of the Azimio side who were selected to spearhead the talks include are Ledama Ole Kina, Edwin Sifuna, Enoch Wambua, Amina Mnyanzi, Millie Adhiambo and David Pkosing.
Kenya Kwanza named Bonny Khalwale, George Murugara, Essy Okenyuri, Mwengi Mutuse, Lydia Haika, Hillary Sigei and Adan Keynan.
