The Kenya Kwanza side of the Bipartisan Committee has called for the inclusion of more parties even as Azimio la Umoja declined to re-engage in the stalled talks.
In a statement that was shared by the chairman of the Kenya Kwanza Bipartisan Committee, Tharaka Member of Parliament George Murugara on Tuesday, July 25, revealed that Kenya Kwanza had written to the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), asking the body to recommend people to participate in the roundtable discussions.
The Kenya Kwanza Bipartisan Committee also wrote to the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) who had requested to be included in the talks. In his letter, Muragura informed the institution to be ready for the talks which Murugara claimed will resume shortly.
"The Kenya Kwanza Bipartisan Committee wrote to the NCCK and SUPKEM, confirming that support for their statement, and stating that, in the framework agreed upon, there is space for stakeholders and interested groups to come in and be part of the team.
"We have, therefore, invited them to be ready so that when the talks resume, they may be part of the team that will make presentations geared towards reaching a solution," Murugara revealed.
Kenya Kwanza was responding the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM)'s request to be enjoined in the Bipartisan talks.
In a letter to the leaders of the two political formations, the NCCK and SUPKEM stated that they believe that their participation in the talks would be beneficial to the country. They noted that they could provide a neutral platform for the two sides to discuss their differences and find common ground.
The NCCK and SUPKEM also noted that they could help to ensure that the talks are inclusive and that all Kenyans are represented.
The two religious bodies assured the nation that they are committed to working for the peace and stability of the country.
While confirming the acceptance of NCCK and SUPKEM's request, Murugara revealed that the same communication had been relayed to the Azimio side through his co-chair, Dr. Otiende Amollo.
Murugara acknowledged that the two organizations are respected by Kenyans of all faiths and they have a long history of working for peace and reconciliation.
However, Azimio's decision to abandon the talks leaves the fate of the dialogue in limbo especially since the opposition had made it very clear that it doubted Kenya Kwanza's seriousness to engage in meaningful talks.
"It is important that we embrace dialogue, and that is why the Kenya Kwanza side has always been ready to have conversations with our counterparts on the Kenya Kwanza side.
"We also sent a letter to Dr Otiende Amollo, expressing our interest in resuming the talks so that we may proceed from where we left off. The issue that relates to IEBC remains the most important agenda," Tharaka MP George Murugara stated.
Kenya Kwanza also called on Dr. Amollo to prevail upon his coalition to resume the talks noting that was the only path towards achieving sustainable peace.
Murugara also welcomed Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga's decision to call off the protests scheduled for Wednesday, July 26 stating that Raila's actions demonstrated statesmanship.
"The discussions must be at a round table where everyone interested in the talks can come and be part of the larger conversation about national issues," the MP stated.
