Azimio has appointed Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni as head of the Legal and Technical team in a move seen to appease a faction of Mt Kenya leaders allied to the coalition.
In a statement on Tuesday, Azimio leader Raila Odinga announced that Kioni and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka will lead the talks on behalf of the opposition coalition.
Raila announced that Kalonzo would lead the dialogue team while Kioni would lead the legal and technical team.
Last week, there was a silent protest over the list submitted by Azimio, with some top leaders from the region missing subsequent press briefings called by Raila and Kalonzo.
"We have tasked our delegation and our technical teams, under the able leadership of Kalonzo and Kioni to go to these talks with courage of and open minds. It takes courage and open minds to establish common ground in situations of dispute," Raila noted.
The opposition chief has also maintained that their key demands to be addressed in the talks stand.
"We have told our delegation, and we want all Kenyans to understand that engaging in honest dialogue does not amount to surrender or cowardice. We must see it as an act of strength and a matter of common sense," Raila stated in a press briefing.
Among the key issues that the opposition wants to be addressed include the high cost of living, the audit of the 2022 Presidential Election, restructuring of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, measures to prevent interference with political parties and outstanding constitutional matters.
"Propaganda must now end because it has not solved our problems this past year and it won’t, in the coming year. Our people and the whole world are watching us, and we encourage them to watch us and to hold us to account," Raila directed.
Echoing what National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw’ah had demanded, Raila agreed that the negotiations would be held in public at Bomas.
The Azimio leader has further committed to calling out protests during the life of the negotiations.
Raila urged the Kenya Kwanza side to extend the same courtesy and end political vitriol during public rallies.
The opposition last week indicated that the talks should be conducted within the next 30 days.
