The leadership of the National Dialogue Committee has called on Kenyans to ignore leaders purporting to speak on the position of Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio La Umoja over various issues that the committee is supposed to discuss.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah who is the leader of Kenya Kwanza delegation to the talks said official communication over various issues will come directly from the leadership and that the other leaders speaking outside the framework of the talks are only giving their views and opinions.
Ichungwah, who was speaking to journalists at the Bomas of Kenya after the team met Monday said that the National Assembly has already passed the motion to have the talks anchored in law. He said the motion has already been forwarded to the Senate which will be handling the matter on Tuesday next week.
"We have been given 60 days to give a report to Parliament over our deliberations with the days starting to count once the Senate discusses the motion to have the talks anchored in law since the National Assembly has already dispensed with the matter and we are good to go," said Ichung'wah.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi said their joint technical committees will continue engaging from Tuesday to Thursday before the entire team meets on Friday to review what has been agreed on.
The approval of the National Assembly and Senate is expected to do so.
Wandayi said Azimio team leader and Wiper Party boss Kalonzo Musyoka was out of the country, as well as Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot - the reason they were absent from Monday's deliberations.
"We have tasked our technical teams to meet from Tuesday to Thursday before our joint teams gather here on Friday to review the progress made so far in the talks, we believe that the Senate will expedite the anchoring of the talks in law just like the National Assembly has done," said Wandayi.
Ichungwah and Wandayi last Tuesday tabled a motion seeking the recognition of the National Dialogue Committee to steer the bipartisan talks with its report on the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio dialogue expected in the House in 60 days.
Cheruiyot and his Minority counterpart Stewart Madzayo are expected to table the motion before the Senate next week after the house resumes its sittings after two weeks recess for Senators to attend the Devolution Conference held in Uasin Gishu County, last week.
Kalonzo said last week that Azimio and Kenya Kwanza technical teams will synchronise agendas before they sit to thrash out contentious issues that have caused divisions between the government and opposition with the joint committee expected to hold several meetings.
"We as the Azimio La Umoja team are coming to the table for dialogue with our Kenya Kwanza team in good faith. We have to work expeditiously to ensure that all the issues we have raised are addressed so as to ensure that peace and tranquillity are maintained in the country," said Kalonzo.
Ichungwah said the two teams have engaged with the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula and his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi who have seconded a secretariat to help them deliver on their mandate.
Ichungwah said the Kenya Kwanza will be putting the best interests of Kenyans on the table as they dialogue with Azimio and hoped that they will come up with recommendations that will help unlock the stalemate.
