Moments after President Wiliam Ruto pledged to support the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah slammed his move, stressing that he should be focused on implementing the Constitution itself.
The NADCO report was birthed as a result of the contentious 2022 polls. Ruto and Raila agreed to form a committee to quell tensions between the opposition and the ruling Kenya Kwanza government after the 2022 general elections, which were co-chaired by the Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wah.
In November 2023, the committee released the infamous NADCO report that recommended, among other things, the restructuring of the IEBC, the evaluation of the 2022 electoral process, and the establishment of the offices of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Official Opposition.
Speaking during the People's Dialogue Festival at Uhuru Park on Friday, March 7, Omtatah warned that the implementation of the NADCO report will dismantle the country's future.
According to the Senator, the government should focus on implementing and mending the Constitution instead of supporting the report.
"We must destroy NADCO and say the Constitution, the way it is, must be implemented one hundred percent. Then, if it doesn't work, we move on to amend it," he said.
"You cannot have a big vehicle with a big engine; then you have removed the wheels, and then you say that the car cannot move. Just put back the wheels and see how that thing moves," he added.
Omtatah assured that the opposition side, led by the people, will remain firm in opposing Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's move to implement the report.
"I am requesting you as the people, anyone supporting the NADCO report, must be destroyed from public life and go back to their private life," he said.
"Raila Odinga and William Ruto have declared war on the future of this country; they want to take us to the past, and we say we are not going back to the past; we are going forward, and we are ready to take them on," he said.
Today, Ruto and Raila inked a political cooperation deal between the Orange Democratic Party (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) that will see the two parties work together.
The two parties agreed to a 10-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at fostering national unity and addressing governance issues.
The agreement included commitments to fully implement the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, ensure inclusivity in budgetary allocations and public appointments, and safeguard the principles of devolution.
The MOU further focused on economic investments targeting the youth, promoting leadership integrity, and curbing opulent lifestyles among public officials.
Further provisions of the MoU advocate for the protection of citizens' rights to peaceful assembly, compensation for victims of rights violations, and a comprehensive audit of national debt utilization.
The deal also outlines a collective effort to combat corruption, eliminate the waste of public resources, and uphold the sovereignty of the people by preventing abductions. Additionally, it calls for a steadfast commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and press freedom.
