NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 25 — The National Dialogue Committee is slated to sign an agenda document on Wednesday following an agreement on Friday.
Kalonzo Musyoka, who leads the opposition Azimio side in the talks, said the committee’s technical team had successfully managed to consolidate the issues in one document which has been agreed upon by the dialogue team.
“The issues are framed and the agenda we have is not that of Kenya Kwanza or Azimio. It’s condensed into one document. We expect the media to help us not to create unnecessary division,” he told the press.
“We expect the Senate will sit on Tuesday and pass the motion. On Wednesday we will sit and do the signing and proceed,” the Wiper leader assured.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire who led the ruling Kenya Kwanza side into Friday’s engagement echoed Musyoka’s optimism.
“Today’s meeting was extremely productive on how we will be moving forward. It’s looking like there is a lot of work ahead of us and we are all very ready after today’s meeting,” said Mbarire.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has gazetted Tuesday, next week a special sitting for senators to consider the motion formally constituting the National Dialogue Committee following its nod by the National Assembly.
Acting in good faith
The 10-member team promised to ignore political rhetoric terming the talks as a waste of time.
“We are operating on the basis of utmost good faith; this is an important national exercise and it will be important for every leader who wishes well for our mother land to be properly guided. We are as a team operating as if nothing is outside there,” said Musyoka.
The Kenya Kwanza team had listed a five-point agenda including implementation of the two-thirds gender rule, entrenchment of Constituency Development Fund, establishment the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and embedding the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary in statute.
Azimio on the other hand had insisted on the reopening of election servers, electoral reforms and guarantees on non-interference in affairs of opposition parties.
The renewed attempt for dialogue follows the collapse of a parliamentary process initiated in April after President William Ruto agreed on talks following a spate of violent opposition protests.
