Azimio Suspends Bipartisan Talks Again After Being Shortchanged

A photo collage of President William Ruto speaking in South Africa on May 17, 2023, (left) and Raila Odinga addressing the media on May 16, 2023 (right).
A photo collage of President William Ruto speaking in South Africa on May 17, 2023, (left) and Raila Odinga addressing the media on May 16, 2023 (right).
PCS
Raila Odinga

Azimio la Umoja on Wednesday, May 31, once again suspended the bipartisan talks with Kenya Kwanza after being shortchanged by President William Ruto's side.

In a statement by the Committee's co-chairman, Otiende Amollo, Azimio accused their counterparts of inaction in actualising an earlier agreement.

The Rarieda Member of Parliament cited the failure by the Kenyan Kwanza representative to cosign a letter which was aimed at stopping the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC).

Amollo added that the Ruto team did not act on the letter addressing IEBC over the preservation of the IEBC servers.

Tharaka MP and Co-Chair of Bipartisan Parliamentary Team speaking to the press on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.
Tharaka MP and Co-Chair of Bipartisan Parliamentary Team speaking to the press on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.
Photo
Esther Okenyuri

"Further, we also note that you have not responded to the additional matters raised in the resolutions of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Parliamentary Group Meeting forwarded to you.

"In the circumstances, it is our considered opinion that the appropriate action is to adjourn the talks sine die, in accordance with Clause 36 of the Framework Agreement, which we hereby invoke," read the statement in part.

The statement by the Azimio team came hours after the Raila Odinga-led faction submitted the two letters to the Kenya Kwanza team for action.

Amollo's earlier letter was informed by resolutions that had been made during the Azimio la Umoja Parliamentary Group meeting on Tuesday, May 30.

The legislators had resolved to give the Kenya Kwanza team until Tuesday, May 30 midnight to act on the letters.

Kenya Kwanza was yet to issue a response over the move by the Raila Odinga faction at the time of publication.

However, while responding to Azimio's demands during an interview on TV47, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party secretary general Cleophas Malala noted that the President would disregard the demands.

“Kenya Kwanza is the government, and Azimio should give us space to work on our promises to the people for the next five years.

“If we do not perform, they have a democratic right to try to unseat us in the next election. But we cannot have the government run by the opposition,” he stated

UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala speaks during a consultative meeting with the Party's 47 County Coordinators in Nairobi on May 18, 2023.
UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala speaks during a consultative meeting with the Party's 47 County Coordinators in Nairobi on May 18, 2023.
Photo
Cleo Malala