It is all systems as Kenya braces for a constitutional moment after the Senate cleared the last hurdle in the path of the National Dialogue Committee which has 60 days to develop a path.
Tuesday, the Senate joined the National Assembly in approving entrenchment of the 10-member National Dialogue Committee and eight-member technical committee which is expected to file a report of its deliberations submitted to both houses in 60 days.
The National Dialogue Committee will formulate and adopt a framework to guide the bi-partisan talks and report to the Leadership of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio coalitions within 60 days and after that submit its report to Parliament.
The committee may invite, engage with and consider submissions from stakeholders, collate views from the public and engage experts, professionals and other technical resource persons as necessary with the Speakers and Clerks of both Houses of Parliament providing secretariat and any other necessary support.
During a special sitting, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said the two Houses of Parliament have now established a National Dialogue Committee to represent the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition This will pave the way for engagement between the government and opposition side within a constitutional framework.
"The mandate of the National Dialogue Committee shall be to facilitate dialogue and consensus building and recommend appropriate constitutional, legal and policy reforms on issues of concern to be framed by the National Dialogue Committee in line with the Constitution and respecting the functional and institutional integrity of state organs," said Kingi.
The joint technical committee of Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio La Umoja Coalition has agreed on five key agendas to be tackled by the National Dialogue committee which is co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah.
The technical committee will prioritise the cost of living and social economic issues, two-thirds gender rule, national unity and governance and checks and balances in government have been clustered as one agenda.
Electoral justice and related issues like the restructuring of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, boundaries delimitation and audit of the 2022 election is another agenda to be tabled.
Entrenchment into the constitution of the Constituency Development Fund, National Government Affirmative Action Fund and Senate Oversight Fund is one of the agendas agreed upon by the joint technical to be presented to the National Dialogue Committee for discussion.
