President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza side on Wednesday, August 2, unveiled a five-member team to engage with Raila Odinga’s team.
Kikuyu MP and the National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah will lead the Kenya Kwanza delegation in the talks that followed weeks of violent anti-government demonstrations.
Others include Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, EALA MP Hassan Omar, and Bungoma Woman Rep Catherine Wambilianga.
The five negotiators are expected to face the Azimio team led by Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
Others include former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi, Malindi MP Amina Mnyazi, and Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni.
However, it appears that the second edition of the peace talks could already be running into headwinds.
This was after the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition faulted President William Ruto’s side for not approaching the talks with clean hands.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 2, ODM communication director Philip Etale accused President William Ruto’s side of picking hardliners to deal with weighty issues.
Etale further wondered how the talks would succeed with hardliners picked to engage with them.
“When dealing with weighty issues like the current situation in the country, the least Kenya Kwanza should have done would have been to release the names of their hardliners and stop at that lecturing Azimio on matters decency beats the purpose of the process,
“Kenya Kwanza is not approaching talks with clean hands. They have already begun grandstanding even before the talks begin,” Etale said in a Tweet.
He further accused the Kenya Kwanza side of leaving out the cost of living in the agenda, saying the faction belittled Azimio’s priorities in the discussions.
“They condemned maandamano, brutalised it, and now want to belittle the talks by making it seem that the struggle was simply for the non-issues listed,” he added.
