President William Ruto will today chair a crucial meeting to decide the fate of his ceasefire talks with Azimio chief Raila Odinga , even as ruling coalition leaders yesterday restricted the agenda to the recruitment of poll commissioners, setting the stage for a battle with the opposition.
President Ruto will name his representatives in the bi-partisan talks at a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group (PG) today after Mr Odinga nominated seven to represent the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party last week.
Nation has established that among those being fronted to represent the ruling coalition in the talks are Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, his Senate counterpart Aaron Cheruiyot, National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro, Nominated Senator Veronica Maina, Tharaka MP George Murugara, Deputy Majority Whip Owen Baya, Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale, Samburu Senator Steve Lelegwe and Marsabit Woman Rep Naomi Jillo.
A source in Kenya Kwanza yesterday disclosed that the names have been proposed but will be subject to approval at the PG, “even though we are likely to witness a scenario where certain leaders in the House are replaced by ordinary legislators with legal expertise”.
Mr Odinga named seven negotiators. These are Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, Senate Minority Whip Ledama Ole Kina, Deputy Minority Leader Enoch Wambua, as well as MPs Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), David Pkosing (Pokot South), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North) and Amina Mnyanzi (Malindi).
Majority leaders in Parliament yesterday told Nation their negotiators will be named today by President Ruto after the PG meeting, which they noted will also set the agenda for the coalition in Parliament after the recess.
Mr Ichung’wah, however, insisted that the main programme for today’s PG is to set their parliamentary agenda for this year.
“The agenda is Kenya Kwanza’s parliamentary agenda for this year especially this session when the budget estimates are expected in Parliament and other urgent government legislative agenda,” he said.
The Kikuyu MP also noted that the Kenya Kwanza team for the parliamentary committee is expected to be named and approved by the PG.
The naming of mediators will now set the stage for the most crucial part of the talks as they plan for the inaugural meeting amid hardline positions by warring factions.
President Ruto’s camp yesterday insisted that the agenda for their engagement with the opposition will be pegged on the recruitment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) team.
But Mr Odinga’s camp fired back, insisting that the talks must focus on all their demands which should form the basis for terms of reference, setting the stage for a fresh battle.
Mr Cheruiyot, the Senate Majority Leader, told Nation that at today’s PG, “we shall agree on members of the team who shall represent us in the bi-partisan committee.”
He dismissed the opposition's demand for the opening of the 2022 presidential election servers, describing the calls as “bar talk” that will not be tolerated in the discussions.
“Their brief shall be IEBC reconstitution and any progressive conversation on how to make the institution stronger. Not weaken it. We shall not engage in any exercise that is beyond our powers as Parliament,” Mr Cheruiyot said.
“Server stories are bar talk which a serious institution like Parliament cannot entertain. All talks must be guided by the rule of law, nothing extra-constitutional,” Mr Cheruiyot said.
Mr Silvanus Osoro, the Majority Whip in the National Assembly, also laughed off the opposition’s list of demands for the talks, insisting that members of their negotiation team will decide what to drop and what to retain.
In a move that could only serve to upset the discussions, Mr Osoro said at today’s PG, the Azimio coalition’s grievances are listed fifth on the agenda.
“Kenya Kwanza holds PGs at the start of every session to prepare the agenda for the session. The agenda is not limited to Azimio demands. Be that as it may, Azimio’s issues will be tabled as agenda five for discussion as we wind up with agenda six,” Mr Osoro said.
Mr Odinga has listed at least eight demands that he wants to form the terms of reference in the bi-partisan discussions, failure to which he has warned of a return to the street protests.
He wants the team to recommend measures to lower the cost of living, a forensic audit of the servers used by the IEBC in the last election, a review of the appointment and dismissal of IEBC commissioners, including their tenure of office, and recommend institutional, policy, legal, and constitutional reforms of the IEBC.
He also wants the team to consider restructuring of IEBC by devolving structures to the counties, recommend legal, policy, and institutional reforms to strengthen and improve the electoral system and processes to entrench a culture of free and fair elections and a review of the circumstances that led to the dismissal of the IEBC commissioners — the Cherera Four — and reinstate them in office.
He also wants a review and recommendation of changes in the law that will entrench party discipline and initiate legislation to address the electoral, governance and economic gaps identified during the inquiry for consideration by the Houses.
Mr Odinga has also stated that his team will push for legislation through constitutional review to address the winner-take-all system.
“This is what has clearly been demonstrated by the UDA regime. This monopoly of power, by hook or crook, by the party in the State House can only be rectified with a thoughtful deliberative process involving all Kenyans.
“We need a proper constitutional review to cure the governance defects in the 2010 Constitution and remove the last vestiges of an imperial presidency,” says Mr Odinga.
But Mr Osoro insisted that the joint committee members will have to stick to the law and decide what to drop and what to retain among the demands put forth by the opposition.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi fired back, saying that Azimio side will stick to already tabled conditions and will not condone ‘anything else they (Kenya Kwanza) are saying in funerals’.
“We’ve done our part, unveiled our team for negotiations and we are waiting for their response. We have also laid down our conditions and we won’t comment on anything else they are saying in funerals,” Mr Wandayi told Nation yesterday.
Mr Odinga has maintained that some issues, in particular lowering the price of food, are urgent and cannot wait, also insisting that opening of the servers is not negotiable.
“We go into these negotiations holding the firm belief that our cause is just, our intentions are pure and our goal is patriotic.
“We agree that a balanced process spearheaded by members of Parliament on both sides and backed by experts is an appropriate way to proceed and the end product will then be presented to Parliament for approval,” the ODM leader says.
The joint task force, Mr Odinga proposes, should present its report to Parliament within 30 days of its establishment.
