Raila and Ruto Suspend Talks: Reasons Explained
On Tuesday, April 25, the bipartisan teams of Azimio La Umoja and Kenya Kwanza suspended their dialogue due to an impasse.
Azimio indicated in a statement released by Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo that it had been unable to reach an agreement with Kenya Kwanza regarding the removal of MPs Adan Keynan (Eldas) and David Pkosing (Pokot South).
According to Amolo, who spoke at a hotel in Nairobi, the two teams have only three options: either Keynan (Kenya Kwanza) or Pkosing (Azimio) can choose to withdraw from the team, or both players can withdraw.
The second alternative was for each party to withdraw their objections to Keynan and Pkosing and permit them to remain members of the bipartisan team.
Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio party, and President William Ruto had the final option of withdrawing one of the two MPs on their own accord.
Amollo stated, “Until then, we have reached a stalemate and have decided to suspend these negotiations until there is a consensus or a shift in position.”
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“Adan Keynan, who defected from Jubilee to Kenya Kwanza, is not a member of Jubilee. He is a vice chair in the Azimio Coalition, deputizing former Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya. Pkosing has not been a source of principled contention. “He is a member of the Kenya Union Party (KUP), which signed a pre-election agreement with Azimio,” the representative continued.
In April 2023, the KUP, led by the former governor of West Pokot, John Krop Lanyangapuo, announced its intention to withdraw, according to his argument.
“There is currently no agreement to withdraw from Azimio,” Pkosing is the second-in-command and has not indicated a desire to move. Additionally, he is the deputy treasurer of Azimio.
“This demonstrates that the Pkosing issue was created as an afterthought to make it appear as if we are on equal footing with the complaint we raised regarding Keynan’s issue. It is based on intent, not reality,” he continued.
In response to Azimio, Kenya Kwanza stated that they had agreed to the side’s demands, including the listing of a secretariat led by attorney Paul Mwangi.
In addition, Kenya Kwanza stated that they had consented to consult with their respective principals regarding the inclusion of Adan Keynan.
To address the impasse, Kenya Kwanza proposed a separate meeting between former President William Ruto and Raila Odinga, as well as the bipartisan chairs, to resolve some of the issues raised.
Tharaka Member of Parliament George Gitonga stated, “On behalf of Kenya Kwanza, we have agreed that we need additional consultations with the coalitions’ leaders before we can proceed.”
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“Therefore, as we adjourn today, Otiende Amollo and I (Gitonga) are free to meet with President Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as co-principals to provide them with a report,” he added.
He added that both Raila and Ruto could decide to withdraw their objections to Keynan and Pkosing, allowing them to participate in the bipartisan talks, for the negotiations to continue.
According to Tharaka MP, this arrangement would benefit both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza.
Kenya Kwanza also proposed allowing Raila and Ruto to withdraw Keynan and Pkosing, allowing the negotiations to continue without them.
Gitonga insisted that the third option is for both members to sit down, evaluate themselves, and resign voluntarily.
“The coalition principles may decide to nominate another candidate or leave the numbers unchanged,” he continued.
However, Gitonga promised to provide a status report on Friday, April 28, after meeting with Ruto and Raila.
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