President Uhuru ready for dialogue with opposition over IEBC but...

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto with members of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance after a round-table meeting yesterday at State House in Nairobi. [Photo: PSCU]

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he is ready for dialogue with the Opposition over the polls body, but maintained that he can only do so within the confines of the law.

He told business leaders that his personal presentation to the engagements, and which he would present like any other citizen, was ready.

"I myself have prepared my own position which I am ready to present to them," Mr Kenyatta said in a meeting with members of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) in a round-table meeting yesterday afternoon.

He added that he was not ready for any embarrassment that would arise if he were to ask the commissioners of the Independent Electrical and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to leave office, then the directive is challenged in court.

"I am not going to ask anyone to leave office then I am embarrassed tomorrow," said the President, who also responded to an unnamed envoy's request that he listens to the Opposition leaders, including Raila Odinga.

Mr Kenyatta told the diplomat that there was no need to plead with him (the President) to listen to anyone, as it was his responsibility and duty to accommodate all his values.

He was responding to pleas by the Kepsa members, who had in an earlier closed-door meeting asked him to open up to the Opposition's demand for dialogue on the removal of the IEBC commissioners.

Ambassador Dennis Awori, who is also the chairman of Kepsa, had expressed fears of the private sector relating to the disruptions caused by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) Monday demonstrations for the removal of the IEBC commissioners.

"I am requesting you Mr President to give dialogue a chance," said Mr Awori.

For the past three Mondays, CORD has staged demonstrations against the polls body demanding the removal of the commissioners whom they accuse of being close to the Jubilee coalition, and have demanded their exit from office before the next General Election of August 2017.

Last Monday's protests in some parts of the country turned tragic when police killed three protesters in Siaya and Kisumu counties, prompting widespread condemnation from the international community, the church and the Opposition.

On Wednesday, CORD suspended the demonstrations for a week to mourn the deaths of their supporters and also give an opportunity for dialogue in what would be seen as bulging to pressure from the church and the foreign envoys.

Awori told the President that the demos were not only hurting the private sector but also tainting the image of the country, specifically frustrating the prospects of recovery in the tourism sector.

On the sidelines of the meeting, US ambassador Robert Godec insisted that there was need for dialogue.

"There has to be a political dialogue wherever and in whichever way," said Godec, alluding to that the negotiations do not have to be through Parliament as held by Jubilee.

Yesterday's meeting that brought together more than 500 members was the sixth round since its inception after President Kenyatta came to power.

The next meeting will be held in September to review the progress of the agreements between the State and the private sector.

"We want to ensure that the next time we are meeting, all the issues that were raised today (Thursday) will have been solved so that we move forward," Mr Kenyatta assured Kepsa members.

On corruption, the President asked the Deputy Chief Justice Kalpana Rawal to "prosecute and jail a few of these 300 graft cases before you".

Some of the issues that have kept recurring in subsequent round-table meetings is VAT refunds, enhancing regional integration and power outages.