The joint technical committee of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio has agreed on five agendas to be tackled by the National Dialogue Committee.

A member of the technical committee who sought anonymity due to sensitivity of the matter, said 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 reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, boundaries delimitation and audit of 2022 General Election is another agenda for deliberation by the National Dialogue Committee co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa.

“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 committee to be presented to the National Dialogue Committee for discussion,” said the technical committee member. 

The proposal to entrench into the Constitution the office of the leader of official opposition and office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary will also be part the agenda.

The member said they have also set out fidelity to political parties for discussion, which has been a thorny issue. This comes after Ichungwa called on Kenyans to ignore leaders purporting to speak on the position of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio over various issues the committee is supposed to discuss.

He said leaders speaking outside the framework of the talks are only giving their views. Ichungwa, who was addressing journalists at the Bomas of Kenya after the team met on Monday, said the National Assembly has already passed the motion to have the talks anchored in law. He said the motion has been forwarded to the Senate which will handle 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 Ichungwa.

National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi said joint technical committees will continue engaging from Tuesday to Thursday before the entire team meets on Friday to review what has been agreed on. 

“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. On Tuesday last week, Ichungwa and Wandayi tabled a motion seeking recognition of the National Dialogue Committee to steer the bipartisan talks.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and his Minority counterpart Stewart Madzayo are expected to table the motion before the Senate next week.

Last week, Kalonzo said 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. 

“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 all the issues we have raised are addressed so as to ensure peace and tranquility are maintained,” he said. By Edwin Nyarangi , The Standard