The Kenya Kwanza Alliance on Sunday, May 28, devised a new strategy to bring Azimio la Umoja back to the negotiation table after the Raila-led coalition suspended the bipartisan engagements for seven days.
Tharaka Member of Parliament George Murugara, who is also the co-chairman of the bipartisan committee, wrote to his counterpart, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, informing him that the coalition had ceded ground over some demands.
In a letter he penned to the opposition team, Murugara indicated that Kenya Kwanza had agreed to meet Azimio la Umoja's demand on the recruitment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
He explained that the two (Murugara and Amollo) should jointly write a letter to the IEBC Selection Panel, asking it to halt the recruitment process for several days until an agreement is reached between the two camps.
The Kenya Kwanza bipartisan team advised that the recruitment process be stopped for between 21 to 30 days.
Murugara also asked Azimio la Umoja to return to the negotiation table and avoid plunging the country into chaos, assuring the Raila Odinga-led coalition of full cooperation.
On the concerns about the data in the IEBC Servers, Murugara stated that the electoral commission was by law required to preserve the technologies for the next three years.
As such, Murugara was willing to co-author a letter to IEBC, reminding the commission of its legal mandate to ensure that the servers were well maintained and preserved.
He, therefore, invited Amollo for a meeting on Monday, May 29, in order to review their options so as to move the talks forward.
It was, however, not clear if the Kenya Kwanza team will also meet the other demands that had been tabled by the Azimio la Umoja Colaitions.
On May 23, 2023, through Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Azimio suspended the ongoing bipartisan talks citing various issues. The opposition accused the ruling party of meddling in the Jubilee Party's affairs.
"We have had to suspend the bipartisan dialogue after we could not persuade our friends from Kenya Kwanza to concede to some common sense interim measures," Sifuna.
Azimio la Umoja coalition also demanded President William Ruto's government lower the cost of maize flour, preserve the election servers, and suspend IEBC reconstitution.
In a statement, Sifuna noted the reconstitution of the electoral commission was a priority and there was no backing down over it.
The demands came after the Registrar of Political Parties on Tuesday, May 23, ratified the expulsion of Jubilee SG Jeremiah Kioni, Vice Chair David Murathe and Treasurer Kagwe Gichohi.
