Nairobi — The National Dialogue Committee Wednesday held a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula seeking financial support to reinforce their talks as they race against time to meet their deadline.
Wetangula had a meeting with co-chairs of the dialogue committee, National Assembly Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, and Azimio La Umoja principal Kalonzo Musyoka for close to an hour within the precincts of Parliament.
Given that the National Assembly and the Senate passed the motion anchoring the talks in law, the National Dialogue Committee sought the Parliamentary Service Commission which is chaired by the National Assembly Speaker to finance the talks.
The National Dialogue Committee has been sluggish in deliberating the issues raised by the two opposing sides since the talks began.
Two weeks have elapsed since the committee signed its framework of agreement, but it is still at the preliminary stages.
This comes even as the National Dialogue Committee which holds talks at the Bomas of Kenya is expected to hold talks on Monday next week after taking a break to allow its members to participate in the Africa Climate Summit which was concluded last week.
Last week, the technical committee received memorandum from Kenyans on the five thematic issues for the talks. National Dialogue Committee had received 142 memoranda from stakeholders as of Sunday, September 10, 2023.
Among the primary agenda of the committee are two-thirds gender rule, the cost of living, fidelity to political parties and coalitions, entrenching political party funds into the constitution, and establishment of the official leader of the opposition office and the office of prime cabinet secretary.
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The National Assembly and the Senate approved a motion on the establishment of a national dialogue committee to pave way for talks between the Azimio La Umoja Coalition and their Kenya Kwanza Alliance counterparts.
The passage of the motion gives the Musyoka and Ichung'wah-led Committee legal mandate to recommend constitutional and legal reforms after dialogue and consensus reaching.
The National Dialogue Committee is expected to report to the Leadership of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio Coalitions within sixty days and after that, submit its report to Parliament.
The committee will be assisted by Technical Teams from both Kenya Kwanza and Azimio. Additionally, Communication Secretaries, appointed by the Leader of the Majority and the Leader of the Minority, will provide support.
The Kalonzo - Ichung'wah Committee is free to invite, engage with stakeholders as well as collate views from the public and engage experts, professionals and other technical resource persons as necessary.
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.
