Otiende: Why bipartisan talks collapsed

 

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo has blamed the collapse of bipartisan talks on alleged ideological differences between President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.

Speaking on Spice FM on Wednesday, the MP said some people in the Kenya Kwanza regime fear that the mediation might jeopardize their political future.

“On the ambit of that dialogue, I get the sense that the president’s side is fearful of any talks that take us to 2022 which demands the opening of the servers for fear of the unknown and the consequences of that unknown,” said Otiende, who co-chairs the bipartisan committee alongside Tharaka MP Gitonga Murugara.

He added: “I get the sense that those who like the Deputy President think that any sort of dialogue might put them in jeopardy in future.”

The lawmaker said the Kenya Kwanza leaders fear that the talks may lead to a handshake between President Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

“I think their fear is some sought of Nusu Mkate thing, handshake and I don’t know where that comes from because when I was the chairman, at no time did I get instructions to entertain anything to do with handshake or Nusu Mkate,” said Otiende.

The legislator was categorical that he is no longer the co-chair of the bi-partisan committee since the talks were suspended and the Azimio team withdrew from the process.

“We realized that although the Kenya Kwanza team called for bipartisan talks, they did not call them in good faith, they were not acted in good faith and they were not committed,” he said.

Bipartisan talks committee co-chair and Tharaka MP George Gitonga Murugara, of Kenya Kwanza, at Bomas of Kenya on May 23, 2023, when announced that the talks had stalled. Murugara was accompanied by Kenya Kwanza members in the committee, Taita Taveta Woman Representative Lydia Haika and Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei. [Jenipher Wachie,Standard]

“Let’s just say we moved in bits and stops until finally we gave a notice and said if you are not going to move then let’s not give false hope to Kenyans,” he added.

Otiende emphasized that mediation cannot succeed unless there is good faith.

“Any talks such as this you cannot start restraining yourself to some scriptures of legislation. That this law says this, that law is the big mistake,” he said.

Murugara who is the Kenya Kwanza team co-chair of the bipartisan committee insisted that the talks had not been suspended but they had just broken down.

On Tuesday, the Kenya Kwanza team appealed to Azimio to resume the bipartisan talks.

But Otiende said that the Kenya Kwanza regime has noticed that the protests are getting serious and that is why they are calling them back for talks.

“As they were saying on Tuesday that they are ready to reopen a discussion on the position they took, that is to take us around,” he said.