The Bipartisan talks between The Kenya Kwanza Party and Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition has hit a brick wall ,this is after the opposition team suspended its participation protesting the inclusion of Eldas Member of Parliament Adan Keynan in the committee.
The committee’s co-chair Otiende Amollo announced that they will continue with the talks until the matter is resolved, an issue that has been left in the hands of the coalition leaders, President Ruto and Azimio party leader Raila Odinga.
The talks are already heading a difficult path as members of the bi-partisan committee differ on the inclusion of MP Keynan and his Pokot South counterpart David Pkosing, an issue they say must be resolved before formal business including the setting of the terms of reference of the committee can begin.
“We have hit a stalemate and we have suspended these talks until this time, as there maybe consensus on the lines reached,”Otiende Amollo said.
The Two Parties
Azimio leaders have accused the Kenya Kwanza leaders of mischief insisting that the inclusion of Keynan in their team was unlawful since he was elected on a jubilee ticket, an affiliate of Azimio.
The Kenya Kwanza party have also stated their issue saying MP Pkosing’s party KUP was affiliated to the ruling coalition.
“The objection to Pkosing is an afterthought , it was meant to counter our objection to Keynan so that it appears that the objections are on the same level…ours is in principle and theirs is in bad faith and we are not prepared to concede,” he added.
Tharaka MP and committee George Murugara said: “it is open to Otiende the co-chair and myself to meet the President as the appointing authority and Odinga as the co-principal so that we can give them a report.
The committee has challenged the coalitions principals with suggesting that either both parties withdraw their objection or both MPs be removed from the committee or they voluntarily resign.
“We commit 100% to ensure that these talks are carried through until the country realizes the benefits, the problem are solved,” Murugara said.
“We have engaged with ourselves, we have engaged with the appointing authority and we are unable to come to an agreement and that is why we have not told you we are adjourning to next week, we don’t want to give Kenyan’s false hope,”Amollo added.
The committee is set to face another test when the talks to outline the agenda of the committee begin; Kenya Kwanza party insists on talks to stream line the reconstitution of the polls body IEBC, while Azimio wants the scope widened.
The Azimio team has announced its intention to resume the anti-governmental protests on Tuesday next week accusing Kenya Kwanza of acting in bad faith.
Also Read: Illicit Brew Crack Down Intensifies, Over 1.7 Million Litres Discovered
