President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga spoke through emissaries ahead of Ruto’s statement Sunday and the eventual calling off of the protests.
It is understood that six emissaries have been involved in the discussions, which began last week.
It was not immediately clear who the emissaries were but is suspected that they included some religious leaders, Western diplomats and key confidants.
While Raila’s team wants a way out of the demonstration, President Ruto’s side would not entertain any discussion about the Opposition joining the government and has demanded an immediate end to demonstrations.
“We can’t discuss any issue that is unlawful or unconstitutional,” said a government official away from the discussions.
As a result of the emissaries, President Ruto softened his stand and offered to discuss the IEBC issue.
Ruto publicly declared that he was ready to dialogue with the Opposition and made a concession for a bi-partisan approach in the recruitment of new electoral commission chiefs.
Shortly after Ruto's statement, Raila called off the countrywide mass protests terming Ruto's statement as "important" and a "positive" development.
"We acknowledge Mr Ruto’s olive branch for a dialogue on key issues raised by Azimio La Umoja. To us, this is a positive development," Raila said.
Earlier Ruto climbed down from their hard line position on the eve of what Opposition had described as “the mother of all protests”.
The President said he “remains open for honest, objective and sincere deliberations based on the rule of law and the Constitution.”
He however dismissed any calls for a handshake, saying such a system compromises accountability and oversight.
“I have always been ready to engage Kenyans of all walks of life, including elected and appointed leaders from across the political divide, and the religious fraternity on how to make our country better and more prosperous. My door still remains open for honest, objective and sincere deliberations, based on the rule of law and the Constitution,” Ruto said.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, the head of state said his troops in Parliament and those of Azimio can agree on how the new commissioners will be picked.
“Considering the matters raised on this particular subject, I suggest a bi-partisan engagement in Parliament on the reconstitution of the IEBC panel within the parameters of the law and the constitution,” Ruto said in a televised address on Sunday.
“The IEBC selection panel and the future process of recruitment of its commissioners could as well be part of a conversation leading to constitutionally and legally binding proposals, through a bi-partisan Parliamentary process.”
Calling Raila my “friend, brother” after weeks of tough talk, Ruto asked the ODM leader to call off the protests.
“When we engage in a bipartisan approach, it is not a game of numbers. It is a game of reason, and how we put up our arguments in a manner that carries not one side, but all sides. That is the essence of a bipartisan approach,” Ruto said.
The proposal by Ruto could throw off balance the work the IEBC selection panel led by Nelson Makanda has been doing.
The team had already advertised for the vacancies and received 920 applications, 895 for commissioners and 25 for the position of chairperson.
The Ruto team in Parliament had amended the IEBC Act and changed nominating bodies to the selection panel.
This the opposition said was a scheme to get a Ruto friendly electoral commission in readiness for the 2027 polls.
Raila wants the current process of selecting electoral commissioners stopped, and all political parties allowed to choose the IEBC commissioners alongside the 1997 Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group (IPPG) model.
Apart from stopping the ongoing recruitment of IEBC chiefs, Azimio has also demanded reduction in the cost of living, opening of the IEBC servers and reinstatement of four of the IEBC commissioners who were forced to exit.
On the question of the high cost of living, he claimed to have reduced the burden Kenyans face, with expensive commodities.
He said they have already secured six million bags of subsidised fertiliser.
Ruto also said they have ordered maize, beans and rice from outside and “it will arrive this week.”
“If any farmer has food in storage they should sell because we shall get food from outside,” he said.
“We found maize meal at Sh230 (per two-kilogramme bag) now it’s Sh180, which means we’re reducing cost of living.”
Since the start of the protests, Ruto and his troops have been tough talking amid calls for dialogue.
Two weeks ago, a tough-talking Ruto pledged he will not allow Raila to "terrorise" the country, saying doing so would be "rewarding impunity".
“You are not going to threaten us with ultimatum, chaos and violence. We will be rewarding impunity if we were to succumb to ultimatums and chaos,” Ruto warned.
On Sunday he said its no longer about who is right between him and Raila.
“In times like these, it is not about who is right or who is wrong. Like Winston Churchill said, I dare say that “courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, but it is also what it takes to sit down and listen,” he said.