Kenya talks team to report to Ruto, Raila in 60 days

The 10-member bi-partisan team negotiating the 2022 post-election crisis will report to President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga within 60 days, according to a motion tabled in Parliament.

The report by the talks team will then be taken to Parliament for approval by MPs. This even as the motion opened the talks to the public by handing the bi-partisan team room to receive views and submissions from Kenyans, professional bodies and other stakeholders.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and his Minority counterpart Opiyo Wandayi yesterday tabled the motion that legally establishes a National Dialogue Committee made up of representatives from the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance and the opposition Azimio La Umoja One Coalition.

Read:Another round of talks starts to resolve Kenya’s political dispute

On Wednesday, the National Assembly will debate and subsequently adopt the motion while their Senate counterparts are set to be called for a special sitting on Tuesday next week to allow the National Dialogue Committee to begin handling the substantive agenda for the talks. Nation has established that there was a lot of pressure from the international community for the rival camps to resolve the standoff.

“The Houses of Parliament resolves that the two Houses of Parliament establish a National Dialogue Committee consisting of 10 members to represent the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, a coalition constituting the majority party … and Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, a coalition forming the minority party,” the motion states. It adds: “That the National Dialogue Committee shall report to the leadership of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio coalitions within 60 days and after that, submit its report to Parliament.”

The decision to anchor the talks in law suggests that the negotiations could come up with recommendations with far-reaching political ramifications.

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