The Kenya Kwanza administration is working through the night to reach a compromise with the opposition, Azimio la Umoja to put an end to the anti-government demonstrations.
At the same time, the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party is planning a vigorous two-month street protest strategy to put pressure on President William Ruto’s administration to uphold its unavoidable obligations, which include addressing the high cost of living.
According to insiders, the emissaries have enlisted the help of National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed, Azimio spokesman Prof Makau Mutua, and a top government official in the security sector to lead the talks, which have a September 1 deadline.
Two Kenya Kwanza MPs confirmed on Monday that peace talks are underway.
“Yes, we have contacted Azimio. The country is facing a slew of problems that are out of our hands. We are talking to their representatives,” said an MP in the leadership, but he would not say whether that includes handing out positions.
The Azimio leadership met last week at the SKM Centre in Nairobi before heading to Kibra to kick off the 10 million digital signature collection drive.
“We have held 38 summits so far, and Junet has not attended any of them. How can he mediate on our behalf, yet he has skipped many Azimio demonstrations. We are not going to entertain any engagements,” said a source close to the happenings.
Another MP added: “Our leaders, like Martha Karua of Narc Kenya, are very committed to this cause and have turned down many offers, insisting on the Azimio demands. She has remained steadfast and says she is not ready to abandon ship now.”
The latest approach by the Ruto camp is said to be causing ripples within the Azimio coalition, which is split on whether to accept the overtures or reject them outright and continue with the protests.
Ms. Karua is said to have issued a warning to Azimio members not to succumb to the government’s move.
Two offers to institutionalise the office of the official opposition leader in Parliament are on the table, with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka in the National Assembly and his deputy, Ms Karua, in the Senate.
The Kenya Kwanza side also wants Azimio leader Raila Odinga to agree to be nominated for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship when it becomes vacant, or for the opposition to agree to call a halt to protests and work closely with the government.
Kenya ran for the AUC seat six years ago, but then-CS Amina Mohamed lost to Chad’s foreign minister, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The holder of the position is elected by the AU Assembly, which is made up of AU Heads of State and Government, for a four-year term that is renewable once.
Then-South Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia, James Morgan, stated that Kenya had failed to persuade even some of its closest allies in East Africa to vote for Ms Mohamed.
Similarly, Kenya has a pure presidential system with majority and minority leadership in Parliament, and there are concerns that the opposition leader will be at the top of the pecking order.
Azimio executive chairman Wycliffe Oparanya dismissed any attempt by Kenya Kwanza to entice them to abandon their people-oriented agenda as a bluff.
“There is no such thing. We don’t want positions. The demonstrations are about the high cost of living and other issues affecting Kenyans. We want the government to ease the living conditions so that they can deal with secondary issues,” Mr. Oparanya said.
David Murathe, Jubilee deputy leader, has also thrown a wrench in the works.
“The UDA side is hell-bent on killing the constituent parties of Azimio, but they want an active opposition. They should stay away from the Azimio parties’ affairs,” said Mr Murathe, referring to the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal ruling on the protracted leadership tussle.
However, ODM Secretary-General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna expressed concern that Mr. Musyoka and Ms. Karua would be able to enter Parliament because the move would necessitate a constitutional amendment, despite the President’s memo to that effect.
A petition is currently before the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.
“We are not aware of any such plans. They don’t usually tell us about such things. There is a fear that if such plans are known to some of us, we might scuttle them,” said Mr. Sifuna.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi also weighed in. “We do not want destruction. We are focused on fighting for Kenyans to ensure that the cost of living is reduced and their rights as enshrined in the Constitution are protected,” he said. “Anything else is a distraction.”
Last Monday, before Mr. Odinga left home for work using public transport, Mr. Mohamed reportedly engaged him on the issue.
Mr Mohamed declined to confirm or deny the allegations.
“Maandamano is on, and nobody has reached out to me. I don’t know why people like me. I have also not seen Jakom (Mr. Odinga) in a week now,” he said.
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Senator Enoch Wambua stated that addressing the high cost of living is the simplest way to resolve the current impasse between the government and the opposition.
“We can break ranks here. We are not protesting for positions; that’s not what we are looking for. We are fighting for the lowering of living costs, we are fighting for the truth to be told about what happened on August 9 and we are fighting for the expansion of the democratic space,” Mr Wambua said.
The Kitui senator added: “We did not give our principals positions. We had structured talks sanctioned by both sides. Azimio went to the table with the utmost good faith. But for the government, it was an extension of political games.”
Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, who is also the leader of the Party of National Unity, has joined the protests.
Mr. Munya told a local station that the main focus of the rallies is the unbearably high cost of living.
“If being arrested will make the situation better, then I’m ready to be arrested and even detained,” Mr. Munya said.