After two weeks of Azimio la Umoja-led protests, Kenyans can now breathe a sigh of relief following their suspension on Sunday by the opposition.
This was after President William Ruto extended an olive branch to Azimio in order to explore a bipartisan option to the reconstitution of the electoral commission.
Among the key issues advanced by Azimio included the high cost of living, the ongoing recruitment of the IEBC commissioners and opening of 2022 election servers.
The President’s wisdom in offering to have a structured dialogue with the opposition cannot be gainsaid. He literally killed two birds with one stone.
First, his action precipitated an immediate suspension of the protests, bringing about peace, tranquility and a resumption of normalcy in the country. Secondly, businesses have now resumed operations albeit having suffered huge losses.
Regrettably, business owners will have no one to compensate them for the losses and looting. Scores may be forced to close shop because of the looting and vandalism, resulting in loss of stock and assets. The injured and the families that lost their loved ones will forever live with the indelible scars of the protests.
So as we get down to work on the proposals tabled by Azimio, and counterproposals from the government, it must occur to us that Kenyans will be keenly be following how the proposed bipartisan talks will unravel and the possible outcome.
The big question many Kenyans are asking is, will the outcome be in the best interest of the country or it will be another opportunity for the opposition to advance selfish interests?
Various stakeholders must keep in mind the fact that Kenyans are sick and tired of the political class interrupting their lives every election cycle. For this reason, they expect robust and conclusive deliberations. There should be no hidden cards or an attempt to push for selfish political interests. In this regard, I don’t expect a debate on the 2022 election to be opened. This is a settled matter that the Supreme Court handled with finality.
The opposition must, therefore, abandon the proposal on opening of servers and focus on real issues. The cost of living, for instance, is of topmost concern to all of us and must be prioritised. We all know it can neither come down by fiat nor antagonism. A lot goes into the efforts to deal with the cost of living, which takes time and planning. So I do not expect Azimio to cling on the cost of living to hold the government side under siege during the talks.
There is a general understanding that the IEBC, being the legally recognized umpire of elections in the country, needs to enjoy an adulterated trust of all Kenyans. The appointment of its commissioners must be above board and bereft of any form of interference or influence from any quarter.
The process is underway with the selection panel having received the imprimatur from the President to advertise for the vacant commissioners positions. While it does no harm to have dialogue on how best to enrich the recruitment, care must be taken to insulate the process from political interference. The law spells out unambiguously the manner in which the IEBC commissioners are recruited. We must not bend the law either to please or — in the worst case scenario — accommodate political interests.
As a matter of fact, the bipartisan talks provide a perfect opportunity for the opposition to come to the table so that the constitutional changes proposed by the President a couple of months ago can be adequately addressed. The proposals were meant to ensure we meet the two-thirds gender parity in Parliament. The other one was intended to enhance oversight of government by re-introducing the official Office of Leader the Opposition with a clear mandate and operations financed from the Exchequer.
Further, President Ruto argued in favor of entrenching the National Government Constituencies Development Fund in the Constitution as a panacea to the legal conundrum that engulfs the operations of the fund as it is currently established.
I remember when the President sent this memorandum to Parliament, Azimio instantly opposed without advancing any concrete counterarguments. They just could not fathom a situation where Ruto would take credit from Kenyans for his initiative.
With the opposition now coming to the table, these and many other issues should be given a priority. My appeal to Azimio is to come to the negotiating table with clean hands, if they expect equity.
With the bipartisan dialogue being conducted within the parliamentary framework, I believe Kenyans will be the winners. So let us use this opportunity to address real issues, not partisan political matters and sideshows that often blur such initiatives.
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