The ongoing bipartisan talks between President William Ruto’s side and that of opposition leader Raila Odinga resumed on Monday, August 21.
The 10-member National Dialogue Committee met for the third time since its establishment to crack the agenda and unlock the talks.
However, Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who is leading the opposition, was missing from the meeting.
Both the Azimio and Kenya Kwanza sides were expected to agree on the agenda before the two political camps can continue with the dialogue.
The team led by Azimio’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Kenya Kwanza’s Kimani Ichung’wah was further expected to receive agenda items from their technical team.
KANU’s Secretary for Political Affairs, Fredrick Okang’o, who has been attending Azimio meetings confirmed that the former vice president did not attend today’s meeting.
Okang’o further clarified that Kalonzo has flown out of the country, hence his absence.
“Kalonzo had tendered his apologies to the committee as he is abroad for personal reasons,” Okang’o revealed.
Kalonzo Musyoka’s absence comes just days after political analyst Herman Manyora urged the Azimio co-principal to abandon the ongoing bi-partisan talks with the Kenya Kwanza faction.
In a statement on his official Twitter handle, the political analyst opined that the Bomas talks are a trap laid out for the Wiper party leader ahead of his presidential bid in the 2027 General Election.
“Kalonzo Musyoka run, run. Run away from Bomas,” Manyora said.
Manyora advised Kalonzo to hand over his position as the leader of the dialogue from the Azimio faction to Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi.
“Bomas is a trap. Abandon that position to Opiyo Wandayi who’s at Kimani Ichungwah’s level. Thank me later with uki,” he told Kalonzo.
On August 9, the talks commenced aiming at resolving the impasse between the government and the opposition.
