Kenya Kwanza dialogue team has proposed to their Azimio counterparts for a change of date for their first joint meeting ahead of the start of the fresh talks.
Team leader Kimani Ichung'wah has proposed that the meeting be pushed to Thursday as the Kenya Kwanza team will be engaged on Monday and Tuesday.
"While appreciating the urgency to embark on the talks, it's worth noting that having just constituted our team, we had a scheduled debrief on Monday with our team in order to prepare for the talks and further engagement with the bipartisan team and their counsels on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
"We, therefore, seek your kind indulgence and propose that we schedule a first joint meeting on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at 10am," he said.
In their invitation on Thursday, Azimio talks team lead Kalonzo Musyoka had proposed that the two sides hold the first joint meeting on Monday at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi from 11am.
"We have taken this step because we believe time is of the essence. While a lot of hard work will be needed to resolve the issues at hand, we believe a speedy start and a time-bound programme is necessary to put the nation at ease," Kalonzo said.
But while citing cost-cutting as the motive, Ichung'wah proposed that the venue be shifted to a public place as opposed to a hotel.
He said this is in line with Kenya Kwanza's commitment to effecting austerity measures at both individual and collective levels in light of the prevailing high cost of living and checking excessive borrowing.
"We respectively request your team to allow the two teams to schedule our meetings at public venues such as County Hall which I would be happy to engage the Public Service Commission to make available or in the alternative at the School of Government -Kabete."
The Majority leader added that since they will be discussing matters of public interest, it's only prudent that the meeting should be held in public spaces.
"Your Excellency sir, these are venues that will not occasion any additional expenditure to the public and which would otherwise be available for such public meetings at little or no cost to us or to the Kenyan taxpayers as opposed to the luxurious five-star Serena Hotel, Nairobi."
