Raila Hands Kioni New Role In Azimio Talks Team

Azimio la Umoja on Tuesday, August 8 appointed Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni as head of the Legal and Technical team in what can be seen as a move to quell rumoured disapproval from the Mt Kenya region towards the opposition.

In a statement, Azimio leader Raila Odinga announced that Kioni will support Wiper Party Leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, in leading the talks on behalf of the opposition coalition with the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.

According to Raila, Kalonzo will lead the five-member dialogue team while Kioni will provide support in terms of legal and technical issues.

Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni speaking during mashinani engagements in Kikuyu and Wangige towns in Kiambu County on June 16, 2023. /JUBILEE PARTY

The two were instructed to approach the negotiation talks with courage and openness in order to come to a common ground to end the political impasse that has seen Azimio take to the streets in the form of anti-government protests.

"We have established a technical and legal team to support our delegation during the dialogue. Accordingly, Hon. Jeremiah Kioni, the Secretary General of the Jubilee Party, will lead the Legal and Technical team in these talks.

"We have tasked our delegation and technical teams, under the capable leadership of H.E. Kalonzo and Kioni, to approach these talks with courage and open minds. It requires both courage and open-mindedness to find common ground in times of conflict," the statement read in part.

The five-member team notably excluded some leaders from the Mt Kenya region, leading to silent protests regarding the list evidenced by some top leaders skipping some press briefings called by Azimio.

The coalition further stood firm with its key demands to be addressed during the talks with Kenya Kwanza.

Among the key issues that the opposition wants to be addressed include the high cost of living, the audit of the 2022 Presidential Election, restructuring of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, measures to prevent interference with political parties and outstanding constitutional matters.

"Our commitment to negotiating in good faith, aimed at resolving the nation's challenges comprehensively through dialogue, remains unwavering. We advocate for transparent, respectful, and expedient talks guided by propriety, integrity, and esteem for the Kenyan people.

"As a party, we firmly believe that our nation deserves harmony, not inertia. This conviction prompted us to suspend our protests, granting dialogue and peace an opportunity," stated Raila in the press briefing.

Azimio went on to call upon Kenya Kwanza to cease propagating vitriol, warning that it will yield no results.

"Propaganda must now cease, as it has not resolved our problems in the past year and will not in the coming year. Our citizens and the global community are observing us, and we invite them to watch and hold us accountable," added Raila, who also agreed with National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw’ah that the talks will be held at Bomas.

During the address, Raila confirmed numerous casualties and injuries inflicted from incidents of police brutality, saying that its extent during the protests is evident through the funerals occurring across Kenya.

Consequently, he dismissed claims made earlier by Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome that politicians allied to his coalition hired dead bodies from mortuaries to ruin the reputation of the National Police Service (NPS) by claiming that they were victims of police brutality during the anti-government demonstrations.

“It is disappointing to see a statement from the Inspector General of Police Mr. Koome saying that we hired dead bodies to accuse police of brutality. I don’t know which world he lives, because the bodies we are burying have bullet wounds on them and death certificates confirming the cause of death,” Odinga argued.