Nairobi — The Joint Bipartisan Dialogue Committee formed to mediate the political conflict between the opposition and the government has petitioned Houses of Parliament to formally constitute it.
The committee co-chaired by former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka (Azimio) and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah urged leadership from both sides of the political divide to urgently draft a motion following its second meeting on Monday.
"It was agreed that the parliamentary leadership of both the National Assembly and the Senate will process a motion to legally establish the dialogue team," the committee said in a joint statement.
The team urged the Senate, which is on recess, to convene as special sitting for purposes of considering the envisaged motion.
"The Senate is in recess but the Senate leadership shall process the same as soon as possible in a special session to be convened," the committee told journalists.
The committee endorsed an 8-member technical team tasked to formulate the agenda ahead of a sitting slated for August 21.
Monday's meeting saw the technical team comprising of four members form both sides debriefed on expectations of the committee.
"I'm am happy to report that both technical support teams are in. We shall then embark on briefing the team on what we expect of them in support of the dialogue," Ichung'wah said.
Harmonised agenda
The technical team faces an uphill task of harmonising the committee's agenda after the two sides presented competing priorities.
Ichung'wah listed a five-point agenda including reconstitution of IEBC, implementation of the two-thirds gender rule, entrenchment of Constituency Development Fund, establishment the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and embedding the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary in statute.
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Azimio on the other hand has insisted on the reopening of election servers, electoral reforms and guarantees on non-interference in affairs of opposition parties.
Ichung'wah named Kenya Kwanza's 4-member team on Friday as a followup to an inaugural meeting held at Nairobi's Bomas of Kenya on Wednesday.
He unveiled Muthoni Thiankolu, Linda Musumba, Nick Biketi and Duncan Ojwang as the government's side technical advisors after Kalonzo named beleaguered Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, Adams Oloo, roots party leader George Wajackoyah and ex-governor Mwangi Wa Iria to his team.
Kenya Kwanza's Ichung'wah-led team includes Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (UDA), Embu Governor and UDA Party Chairperson Cecily Mbarire, EALA MP Hassan Omar (UDA) and Bungoma Woman Representative Catherine Wambilanga (Ford Kenya).
Kalonzo's delegation includes National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi (ODM), Malindi MP Amina Mnyanzi (ODM), Democratic Action Party Leader Eugene Wamalwa and Nyamira Senator Okong'o Omogeni (ODM).
The renewed attempt for dialogue follows the collapse of a parliamentary process initiated in April after President William Ruto agreed on talks following a spate of violent opposition protests.
Azimio side bolted out of structured talks on the reconstitution of the electoral commission, IEBC, sparking another round of protests over what opposition leader Raila Odinga termed as the high cost of living.
