Peace talks team receives key issues for dialogue

The National Dialogue Committee is this morning expected to receive a harmonised draft of issues for the intended dialogue.

This even as the motion establishing the committee has been passed in the National Assembly awaiting a similar exercise in the Senate.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi is yet to gazette for a special day to allow senators to resume from recess and back the motion.

Already, allies of both President William Ruto and his political nemesis Raila Odinga unanimously approved the motion establishing the Dialogue Team on Thursday.

Yesterday, People Daily established that the Technical Committee supporting the 10-member team of negotiators from both Kenya Kwanza and Azimio had completed a draft framework agreement for negotiations.

“When we broke off last week, the Technical Team were given some task including drafting a motion that was to be presented to both Houses. We expect that the team will present its work to the 10 member-team of negotiators,” a source who sought anonymity said.

Source further divulged that the Technical Committee will present the draft framework agreement that the negotiators will adopt before any meaningful talks takes place.

“The Dialogue Team will go through what the Technical team will present for them to adopt or ratify. We expect the House leadership also to appraise the team on the status of the motion that was drafted last week,” added the source.

Continuation of talks comes on the background of push and pull between Raila and his allies and President William Ruto and his lieutenants on the other side.

Yesterday, Parliamentary Service Commissioner and former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama castigated the ongoing talks, arguing that Raila should not only be treated like former US President Donald Trump, but should retire from active politics.

“Raila should retire and go home. If justice was to be used properly, Raila is supposed to be treated like Donald Trump. If it were for me, I would tell the President to abandon the talks. I would like to tell the President to take responsibility and stop being intimidated,” Muthama noted.

War of words

National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi noted that passing of the motion was important, adding that the current political war of words cannot scuttle the ongoing talks.

“The passing of the motion by the National Assembly was critical. We expect the Senate to do the same before substantive talks can begin,” Wandayi said.

The move to legally entrench the dialogue team is seen as shielding the process from legal hurdles that can emanate from any member of the public and see the process progress to its logical conclusion.

The 10-member committee co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa had asked the leadership of the two Houses to fast-track the passage of the motion to establish the team.

Sources intimated to People Daily that there was a need to protect the process let it suffer the fate that befell the Building Bridges Initiative.

The dialogue team has yet to establish timelines for the talks and which agenda will be prioritised, with both sides stating that political goodwill will be critical in dealing with the issues at hand.

Azimio had intended to invite members of the diplomatic corps and religious leaders to the talks, but Kenya Kwanza requested that their inclusion be postponed until teething problems are resolved.

The Kalonzo-Ichung’wa-led Dialogue team have also tasked the technical teams to first frame agenda items for consideration by the dialogue committee and equally review the bi-partisan talks framework agreement to incorporate the negotiating teams’ resolutions.

The proposal to first establish the Dialogue team through a motion in parliament will delay the talks.