Karua Responds To Makau Mutua's Call For Kioni To Quit Bipartisan Talks
Karua maintained that Mutua's remarks were his own and did not in any way reflect the position of Azimio in the matter.
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Azimio la Umoja Principal Martha Karua on Sunday, September 24 viewed lawyer Makau Mutua sentiments calling for the resignation of Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni from the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) as his personal opinion.
In a statement, Karua maintained that Mutua's remarks were his own and did not in any way reflect the position of Azimio in the matter.
She further reiterated that neither Kioni nor any other leader from Azimio could be gagged.
Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka (Left) and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah (Right) during their meeting at Bomas of Kenya on September 1, 2023. /KALONZO MUSYOKA
Karua also implied that Kioni was within his right to question the outcome of the ongoing bipartisan talks.
"My friend Makau Mutua, I presume this to be your personal opinion. Kioni or indeed any of us cannot be gagged.
"The best proof that talks will go anywhere is the results. Sixty days are almost over and the cost of living is skyrocketing, time will tell," she stated.
Makau is a close ally to Azimio Leader Raila Odinga and worked as Spokesperson for the Raila Odinga Presidential Campaign Secretariat in 2022.
On Saturday, September 23, Mutua asked Kioni to resign as head of the Azimio technical team in the talks with the Kenya Kwanza government.
In a statement, Mutua argued that Kioni has no faith in the talks aimed at resolving electoral issues that emerged after the 2022 presidential elections.
He took issue with Kioni's remarks that the talks were a "waste of time", demanding that he step down from the technical team with immediate effect.
“My good friend Hon Kioni should with immediate effect resign as head of the Azimio technical team at the Bomas talks.
"He has repeatedly said the talks are a “waste of time.” He must resign unless he is a hypocrite. How can one lead a team in talks he doesn’t believe in?” he posed.
Kioni is said to have claimed the talks were going nowhere and that he would have bowed out had he been in Azimio leader Raila Odinga's position.
“We are going nowhere with these talks, but we are in support of Baba and the decision he has taken,” Kioni stated.
On Thursday, September 21, he clashed with EALA MP and UDA vice chairman, Hassan Omar after insisting that the cost of living should be part of the agenda deliberated during the talks.
Kioni had yet to respond to Makau Mutua's remarks by the time of publishing this article.
