When the bipartisan talks were first initiated, Kenyans and political leaders alike were hopeful that the issues surrounding the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will eventually be solved.
Several months down the line, there seems to be no end in sight as the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio bipartisan teams keep the masses guessing, and taking Kenyans on a wild goose chase.
Nothing has been resolved yet despite a number of meetings held to come to an agreement.
What is more worrying is that some constituencies and wards that have lost their representatives are yet to hold by-elections.
It is such scenarios that have pushed the bipartisan committee co-chair George Murugara to pronounce that they can no longer wait for the Azimio team to make up its mind on whether they want to be part of the talks.
According to Murugara, the back and forth by Azimio, as he claims, is a waste of time.
"The talks cannot be suspended forever. If Azimio wants to talk, we are prepared to sit and have a discussion on the issues surrounding the selection panel. If they do not show up, then the panel will do its work, and the rest of the issues we can settle later," said Murugara in an interview with Spice FM on Wednesday, June 27.
"We have goodwill but it is also high time we move forward because one or two constituencies have no Members of Parliament simply because the MP died and has not been replaced. Additionally, several wards require replacement of Members of the County Assembly and the only person who can do this is IEBC."
His remarks come a day after Kenya Kwanza issued an ultimatum to Azimio to resume the talks or have the selection panel led by Nelson Makanda proceed with its mandate.
The team gave Azimio seven days to respond, failure to which they will suspend or give notice to dissolve the bipartisan team.
According to Murugara, even without Azimio's approval, the constituted electoral agency selection panel is fit to carry out its duties as required by law therefore their voice in the talks is for their own good.
"We are not blackmailing or threatening anyone. What they need to know is whether the selected panel is fit to continue with its duties. If they do not tell us what the problem is with the panel, we will assume they have dropped their complaints and the panel will go ahead to do its work," he said.
"If they have something to say, and they should because they know the consequences of their silence, then they should do so within seven days. I am planning to meet with Otiende Amollo soon so that we can establish the way forward."
Should the Azimio la Umoja bipartisan team not respond within the given time, then the selection panel is expected to nominate possible IEBC commissioners and forward their names to the President who will later present their names to Parliament within seven days for vetting.
If approved, the President will then appoint the seven-member commission through an official Gazette notice.
All eyes are now on Amollo and his team, even as they remain adamant that they are out of the bipartisan talks team until their own list of demands are met.
