Bipartisan talks collapse as Azimio, Kenya Kwanza teams clash

Bipartisan talks involving Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalitions have hit a snag after the opposition team suspended its participation protesting the inclusion of Eldas Member of Parliament Adan Keynan in the committee.

The committee's co-chair Otiende Amollo said they will not engage in the talks until the matter is resolved, an issue that has since been left in the hands of the coalition principals, President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

The talks are already going down a slippery slope as members of the bi-partisan committee differ on the inclusion of MP Keynan and his Pokot South counterpart David Pkosing, an issue they say must be resolved before formal business including the setting of the terms of reference of the committee can begin.

"We have hit a stalemate and we have suspended these talks until this time as there may be consensus on the lines reached,” Otiende Amollo said.

Azimio leaders accused their Kenya Kwanza counterparts of mischief insisting that the inclusion of Keynan in the Kenya Kwanza dialogue team was unlawful since he was elected on a Jubilee ticket, an affiliate of Azimio.

Kenya Kwanza on the other hand said MP Pkosing's party KUP was affiliated to the ruling coalition.

“The objection to Pkosing is an afterthought, it was meant to counter our objection to Keynan so that it appears that the objections are on the same level...ours is in principle and theirs is in bad faith and we are not prepared to concede,” Amollo added.

Tharaka MP and committee co-chair George Murugara on his part said: “It is open to Otiende the co-chair and myself to meet the President as the appointing authority and Odinga as a co-principal so that we can give them a report.”

The committee tossed the hot potato to the coalitions' principals with suggestions that either both parties withdraw their objection, both MPs are removed from the committee or they voluntarily resign.

 “We commit 100 per cent to ensure that these talks are carried through until the country realises the benefits, the problems are solved,” Murugara said.

“We have engaged with ourselves, we have engaged with the appointing authority and we are unable to come to an agreement and that is why we have not told you we are adjourning to next week, we don't want to give Kenyans false hope,” Amollo added.

The committee is set to face another test when the talks to outline the agenda of the committee begin; Kenya Kwanza insists on talks to streamline the reconstitution of the polls body IEBC while Azimio wants the scope widened.

“We have to see if we are Parliamentary then we are within the confines of the law and the standing orders, if we are extra-Parliamentary we will need a legal backing or policy so that it does not defy the Constitution,” Murugara noted.

The Azimio team has announced its intention to resume street protests on Tuesday next week accusing their counterparts of acting in bad faith.