Kenya Kwanza’s Shortfall on Azimio Demands: Ichung’wah’s Explanation
The Kenya First faction of the bipartisan negotiations has expressed remorse over their inability to fulfill Azimio la Umoja’s deadline set by the coalition led by Raila Odinga. The coalition had insisted on the commencement of talks by Monday, August 7th.
In a communication bearing the signature of Kimani Ichung’wah, the Majority Leader of the National Assembly, it was pointed out that due to prior commitments, the initial discussions between the two groups cannot take place.
Ichung’wah further conveyed that their absence from the discussions scheduled for Monday, August 7, should not be misconstrued as a lack of dedication or sincerity toward the ongoing conversation.
“I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3rd August 2023 contents of which we duly note. However, we seek the indulgence of your team on the invitation to a meeting on Monday 7th August 2023.
“While appreciating the urgency to embark on the talks, it is worth noting that having just constituted our team, we had a scheduled debrief on Monday with our team to prepare for the talks and a further engagement with the Bi-Partisan team and their assisting counsels on Tuesday 8th August 2023,” the statement by Ichung’wah read in parts.
Henceforth, the bipartisan group known as Kenya Kwanza put forward a suggestion to arrange a collective initial gathering on Thursday, August 10th, at 10 in the morning.
President William Ruto’s group also declined the suggestion made by Azimio la Umoja to have the discussions take place at Serena Hotel in Nairobi. They pointed out that this initiative would incur significant costs for the nation.
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“With the view of mitigating the high cost of living, we respectfully request your team to allow the two teams to schedule our meetings at public venues such as County Hall which I would be happy to engage the Parliamentary Service Commission to make available or in the alternative at the School of Government-Kabete,” Ichung’wah proposed.
Kenya Kwanza clarified that the town hall gathering will not result in any extra costs to the public, as these types of public meetings are usually accessible at minimal or no expense.
Ichung’wah pointed out that engaging in open deliberations and conversations would be the best approach, considering that the topics to be addressed are matters that concern the general public.
These subjects encompass concerns such as the irresponsible buildup of the national debt, taking into account the current economic circumstances and the requirement for frugal practices on both personal and societal levels.
“We firmly believe that through this dialogue, as courageous patriots, we shall restore the faith of our nation’s people in democratic ideals and put behind our country’s history of the cyclic culture of violence and impunity, entrench a culture of respect to the rule of law and constitutionalism.
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“For that matter, we shall not be available to engage on any issues that are of personal or private nature whatsoever. Further, Kenya being a constitutional democracy, we strongly believe in the rule of law and our position is that this dialogue will be conducted within the parameters of the Constitution and the existing laws,” Ichung’wah affirmed.
The opposition’s negotiating group, headed by Kalonzo Musyoka, who is the leader of the Wiper party, requested that the discussions commence on Monday, August 7th, at the Serena Hotel, as of Thursday, August 3rd.
In a communication directed towards Kimani Ichung’wah, the leader of the majority in the National Assembly, the head of the Wiper Party encouraged both groups to expedite the commencement of the procedure facilitated by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“We have taken this step became we believe time is of the essence. While a lot of hard work will be needed to resolve the issues at hand, we believe a speedy start and a time-bound program are necessary to put the nation at ease,” the opposition co-principal stated.
Kenya Kwanza’s Shortfall on Azimio Demands: Ichung’wah’s Explanation
