Otiende: Why bipartisan talks collapsed

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.