Bipartisan talks: Raila, Ruto teams approve IEBC radical surgery

The National Dialogue Committee has entered a critical phase of the Kenya Kwanza-Azimio la Umoja talks, it has emerged.

Kenya Kwanza team leader Kimani Ichung'wah, who is also the National Assembly Majority leader, said the committee has "begun the most difficult work of the dialogue."

"We have considered reports of the technical teams and we have issues of both convergence and divergence," he said. 

Leader of the Azimio side, Kalonzo Musyoka, said the team will meet on Thursday ahead of their scheduled meeting agree on "measures of actual engagement."

"There are issues we have agreed on but there are others we are yet to strike a common ground. For example, we have agreed on the reconstitution of the IEBC (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) but we have not agreed how," he said. 

He said that the team has agreed to look into cost of living as an interim measure.

"We want Kenyans to know we stand with them," the Wiper leader said. 

The two teams have agreed that the forthcoming constituency boundaries delimitation should be completed within the deadline envisioned by the constitution.

However, Azimio expects the forthcoming delimitation of boundaries should accommodate the one-man-one vote-one shilling principle.

The Opposition insists the boundaries delimitation function should be taken to a new constitutional agency. 

On the audit of the 2022 presidential election, Kenya Kwanza said the electoral commission has a statutory mandate to audit its processes for administrative improvement.

Azimio, on the other hand, insists that there is a need for an independent forensic audit of the 2022 presidential polls.

It maintains that the evaluation of the presidential elections, including the forensic audit, should be done in accordance with the constitution. 

Both sides agreed there is need to inquire into alleged interference with electoral processes in 2022.

Both sides further agreed on implantation of the two-thirds gender rule as a constitutional requirement.

The teams also supported the establishment office of the Leader of the Official Opposition and the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.

There was however divergence on whether these proposed offices should be established within a parliamentary or presidential system of government.

Addressing the media, Ichung'wah said the committee will allow members of the public and stakeholders to submit their memorandum up to Friday.

"On Friday, some identified stakeholders will appear before us for 20 minutes each," he said.

He said those to appear before the committee include IEBC secretariat, IEBC selection panel and the Working Group on two-thirds gender rule.

He said other stakeholders will have until September 29 to appear before the committee.

Inchung'wah and Kalonzo spoke on Monday after co-chairing a NDC committee meeting at the Bomas of Kenya.

All members of the teams were present, save for Embu governor Cecil Mbarire, who is the deputy leader for the Kenya Kwanza side.

The talks continue amid calls from a section of leaders to drop some of the agenda items for discussion. Some Azimio politicians have also been urging the Opposition to pull out of the talks.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachangua has said the audit of the 2022 presidential election results should be dropped from the NDC agenda.

The DP said there is no constitutional provision for auditing the election as the Supreme Court pronounced itself.

Last week on Friday, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino urged Azimio's side in the NDC to pull out of the talks.

Babu said the talks were pointless as the government has not shown any commitment to addressing the high cost of living.

The mandate of the committee is to facilitate dialogue and consensus building and recommend appropriate constitutional, legal and policy reforms on issues of concern to Kenyans.