ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Thursday, April 6 intimated that opposition chief Raila Odinga instructed Azimio affiliated leaders to steer clear from commenting on the proposed talks.
Sifuna explained that Odinga did not want any sentiments that would throw a spanner in the works during negotiations with the Kenya Kwanza government.
He ordered that any communication on the matter should be from himself.
"Raila pleaded with us that when we are making statements, we should not make any that will jeopardize the environment for us to hold discussions," Sifuna stated.
The Nairobi Senator stated that Azimo had resolved to ignore the noise from the Kenya Kwanza side over Odinga's new demands to have an arrangement similar to that of a national accord.
"We will not listen to some of the leaders in Kenya Kwanza but will wait for President William Ruto to speak because he is the one who initiated these talks," he stated.
When questioned on the recall of demonstrations on Monday, April 10, Sifuna confirmed that the ball was now in the President's coat.
"If the cost of a 2kg-packet of maize flour would not have dropped to Ksh100 by Easter, then we will have no other option but to go back to the streets," he noted.
The vocal lawmaker stated that the opposition had proposed a way for the government on lowering the cost of maize flour, asking them to re-introduce the subsidies.
He reiterated that Raila would not negotiate with Ruto unless the key issues facing Kenyans were addressed.
Earlier, the Leader of the Majority in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung'wah asked Odinga to be contented with what the Head of State offered. He challenged Odinga on the subsidy option.
"Under the handshake regime, the former Minister of Agriculture Peter Munya announced to the country that the maize subsidy was not sustainable and withdrew it.
"How do you want us to reinstate subsidies that you yourself, and President Uhuru Kenyatta withdrew a month before the election?" Ichung'wah posed.
