Opiyo Wandayi Addresses Raila – Uhuru Fallout Over Dialogue Report
Opiyo Wandayi, the Minority Leader in the National Assembly, has reassured that there are no concerns about a rift emerging between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio party.
During an interview on Ramogi TV, the Ugunja legislator affirmed that the two key figures in the Azimio movement remain in harmony, despite rumors suggesting discord stemming from the National Dialogue Committee, also known as the bipartisan report.
He disclosed that Uhuru had not yet declined the report, even though his close supporters, headed by Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, were against the report that Raila had partially accepted.
Additionally, Wandayi pointed out that the divergent viewpoints among their members were common, resembling the dynamics often seen within families.
“I cannot speak on behalf of Uhuru, but there is nowhere where I have heard him say that he opposes the NADCO report. If there is any, then you should tell me. So people should stop forcing differences where there are not.
“We are united under Raila, but that does not mean that we will not have divergent views on it,” Wandayi, who doubles up as Ugunja MP, stated.
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Wandayi defended Azimio against claims of not meeting its goals during the dialogue by affirming the success of the exercise, emphasizing that only one of the requirements was unfulfilled.
He claimed that the coalition led by Raila tried to persuade the Kenya Kwanza government to reduce the cost of living, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Disagreements among Azimio’s leaders surfaced following the publication of the NADCO report in November 2023.
ODM and the Wiper Party led by Kalonzo Musyoka largely embraced the report, whereas opposing views were expressed by allies such as Martha Karua from Narc Kenya and the Jubilee Party.
The critics of the report claim that Kenya Kwanza deceived Azimio into approving it by failing to tackle issues related to taxation and the high cost of living.
In the interim, Raila declared that if the government didn’t tackle the rising cost of living, demonstrations would resume sometime in the year.
“We told them not to increase taxes but they went ahead and raised the taxes, worsening the situation. These taxes must be revoked, the Finance Act must be removed. If they don’t we will return to the streets in 2024,” Raila stated on December 30, 2023.
Opiyo Wandayi Addresses Raila – Uhuru Fallout Over Dialogue Report