Azimio Withdraws from Parliamentary Bipartisan Talks, to Resume Protests After Ramadhan

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition has withdrawn from the planned parliamentary bipartisan talks citing a lack of transparency and honesty by President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza side.

While making the announcement on Tuesday, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said Kenya Kwanza has shown no intention to hold honest dialogue, adding that the opposition coalition will only participate in an out-of-parliament process.

Musyoka noted that Kenya Kwanza did not consult them while drafting a motion aimed at setting up a joint select committee in Parliament, stating that it was made in "absolute bad faith".

"The motion purports to name members of the Minority Party to the so-called select committee without any reference to the Minority leadership in violation of the Standing Orders of both houses," he said.

He added: "It purports to set the terms of reference and scope of the discussions without any reference to us...Our members of parliament in both houses shall not be a party to any other process and particularly not the one proposed in the motion by Kenya Kwanza."

He noted that Azimio is committed to an extra-parliamentary dialogue that is transparent, honest, meaningful, and bipartisan in conception and execution.

"Our issues remain what we said before and they are reduction in the cost of unga, fuel, electricity and school fees, opening and audit of IEBC servers, bipartisan reform and constitution of IEBC, reinstatement of the 4 IEBC commissioners and end to the buying of MPs which threatens multiparty democracy," Kalonzo added.

At the same time, Musyoka said the coalition will be resuming their weekly anti-government protests once the Ramadan period ends.

"The coalition shall resume its weekly protests at the end of Ramadan and further communication in this regard will follow," he said.