Ruto Bipartisan Team Reveals Why It Refused To Cosign Letter With Azimio

The Kenya Kwanza bipartisan talks team on Wednesday, May 31 revealed that it declined to cosign a letter stopping the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on the basis of fundamental changes.

The team led by their chair, Tharaka Member of Parliament (MP) George Murugara, made reference to the letters which were sent to him by his co-chairperson of the Bipartisan Dialogue Committee, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, the previous night prior to another suspension of the bipartisan talks.

However, Murugara had detected the changes which changed the course of the directives to both the Chairperson of the IEBC Selection Panel and the CEO of the IEBC, Marjan Hussein, leading to his refusal to sign the letters.

"On 28th May 2023, I did send Hon Amollo drafts of those letters essentially as requests to the Selection Panel to consider suspending the recruitment process for about 30 days as talks go on. The other was a request to IEBC to observe its obligation under the law to preserve the election material for 3 years including election servers.

"Hon Amollo's letters sent to me last night had a few but very fundamental changes which had altered the request for directives to the two independent bodies. This is why I declined to sign the letters," stated Murugara in part in a press release seen by Viral Tea.

The Kenya Kwanza team had accused their counterparts in Azimio of attempting to sway them to break the rule of law, noting that IEBC was just like any other office which should not be allowed to be dictated orders from individuals or entities.

"As a Committee recognised by Parliament, we are bound by the rule of law. We do recognise that IEBC just like Parliament, Judiciary and other independent offices and commissions are not subject to directions and orders from any person or entity.

"It, therefore, came to us as a surprise that our colleagues wanted to enjoin us to commit a fundamental violation of the very Constitution we seek to defend," added Murugara.

Despite the suspension of the talks sine die (with no appointed date for resumption), the lawmaker expressed that Kenya Kwanza would continue to engage with Azimio with the view of convincing them to return to the negotiations table.

"Towards this, I have just now invited the Co-Chair, Hon Otiende Amollo to a meeting on Tuesday, 6th June 2023 at 9:00 am to discuss the draft letters further with a view to agreeing on the suitable wording and co-signing them," he added.

Murugara further noted that Amollo had requested the team to consider the issues discussed in the Azimio Parliamentary (PG) group meeting, but replied by stating its view that the matters are not on the table now and are not yet the subject of discussion at the present moment in time.

This includes the demand for the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2023, which demand arose for the first time on Tuesday.

"Kenya Kwanza is wholly committed to the Bipartisan Talks and will continue to engage the Azimio side so that the talks do not fail.

"Our team has been mandated by the Kenya Kwanza PG and the leaders to negotiate freely but within the confines of the law. This we commit to do unreservedly, in good faith and for the betterment of our Country, Kenya," Murugara went on.

Amollo had accused the Kenya Kwanza representative of reneging on the consigning of a letter which was aimed at stopping the reconstitution of the IEBC, with Amollo faulting the Ruto team for refusing to take action on the letter addressing the IEBC regarding the preservation of the 2022 election servers.

"In the circumstances, it is our considered opinion that the appropriate action is to adjourn the talks sine die, in accordance with Clause 36 of the Framework Agreement, which we hereby invoke," read the statement in part.

The lawmakers resolved to compel Kenya Kwanza to act on the letters by midnight on May 30. Azimio had also urged Kenya Kwanza to agree that all Jubilee Party MPs who have defected to Kenya Kwanza should resign and seek a fresh mandate from the electorate.