The National Dialogue Committee charged with midwifing talks between President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga have retreated to Nakuru for a week-long negotiation on the sticky issues.
The committee co-chaired by National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka will this week strike a deal believed will cure the country’s electoral related chaos.
Kalonzo on Monday appealed for good faith during the negotiation period that should culminate into a final report of the committee.
“Our week-long negotiations and report writing begins. We are putting every card on the table for the benefit and stability of our great nation,” Kalonzo said.
On top of the table as the committee starts the delicate process is the sticky issues that are threatening the success of the team.
The contentious issues are; audit of the 2022 presidential election results, reconstitution of the IEBC and the fidelity to political parties.
The team will also deliberate on the cost of living - another elephant in the room.
According to a programme of the retreat seen by the Star, the technical team that has been going through the submissions, both oral and written, was scheduled to take the committee through harmonised submissions report.
The team has received 258 written memoranda and 60 oral submissions from various stakeholders.
The team must write a report by November 26.
Later in the day, the committee started discussion on the audit of the 2022 presidential polls as their last agenda of day one.
While Azimio has been demanding forensic audit of Ruto and Raila contest, the majority side has been adamant about any audit claiming the matter was settled by the apex court.
On Tuesday, the team will consider the issue of cost of living which is another point of departure among the two sides.
Even before the team reports its findings, Azimio has already issued what it terms as irreducible minimum as a precondition of accepting the talks outcome.
The opposition, whose agenda in the talks are cost of living and audit of the servers, has maintained they will not be party to outcome that does not address the two items.
Former Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria told the Azimio delegation not to sign the report if the issue of cost of living is not addressed.
“They are about to write the report, they have agreed on four items but the cost of living is like being relegated to the backseat. I want to caution you that any report without concerted steps on how to address cost of living is not our report,” Wa Iria said on Sunday during an interdenominationl prayer meeting in Kajiado.
The same sentiments were echoed by DAP-K boss Eugene Wamalwa – a member of the 10-man dialogue committee.
“We have one week to end, without a deal on cost of living there will be no deal,” Eugene said.
The second day will end with two-thirds gender rule which the two sides have so far reached a middle ground, according to committee sources.
Fidelity to political parties, another thorny issue dividing the talks team in the middle is also lined up for Wednesday.
The committee will wrap up the retreat on Thursday when they consider the report to be presented to Parliament and the two principals.
