President William Ruto (top left) and his Kenya Kwanza talks team and Azimio leader Raila Odinga (top right) and his team.
Fresh round of heightened political clash between President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga is threatening to affect smooth implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) recommendations.
President Ruto recently met Jubilee officials in Nakuru, an Opposition affiliate party, directly going against one of the recommendations on a stop to interference with rival political parties. Poaching of Opposition elected leaders was a major negotiation point in the Bomas talks.
President Ruto and Mr Odinga have also clashed on a number of issues with the latest being the attack on the Judiciary by the Head of State and subsequent calls for dialogue between it and the Executive.
National Dialogue Committee co-chairpersons Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichung'wah flanked by committee members present their final report at the Hilton Garden Inn on November 25, 2023.
Mr Odinga has also put President Ruto administration on the spot over billions of shillings owed to schools in the capitation and the high cost of living. The opposition has also filed law suits against some of Dr Ruto’s policy plans, including a plan to sell 11 parastatals.
From left: Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, his then deputy William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
While President Ruto has been going around the country launching the affordable Housing projects, he has seized the opportunity to also tell off the Opposition and the Judiciary whom he claimed are sabotaging his development plans for the country.
But it is the President’s meeting with a faction of Jubilee MPs allied to former Kieni MP Kanini Kega and 120 Members of the County Assembly in Nakuru last week at Nakuru State lodge that irked the opposition who accused him of reneging on the Nadco report that emphasised on political fidelity to the law and multi-party democracy.
The meeting coupled with the heightened political activities of both the President and Mr Odinga across the country is now presenting a poisoned political environment for the smooth implementation of the Nadco report that may end up suffering the same fate as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI)
The report is expected to be tabled in parliament for debate when the House resumes sittings next month in order to put the necessary legislation and policies in place forimplementation of its various recommendations.
Chairman Orange Democratic Movement John Mbadi said it's unfortunate that President Ruto has already started violating a report that is yet to be implemented.
“Dr Ruto is a deceptive leader, if he is supporting the Nadco report which recommended among other things fidelity to political parties and democracy, then why is he calling rebel Jubilee MPs? Posed Mr Mbadi.
He said the move by Dr Ruto is posing a great risk to the successful execution of the report when it comes to parliament urging him to show goodwill if he wants it to sail through in both Houses.
Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni said from the onset, President Ruto was dishonest about the talks and only wanted to slow down gains the Opposition had made via protests.
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“He (president) had said that he will implement the report to the letter, but now it has come to pass that there was no good faith from the start,” Mr Kioni said.
Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia said at the moment, Nadco report is not binding since it is yet to be presented to the public nor parliament adding that a section of Azimio leaders have also already poured cold water on it.
“Azimio coalition disowned Nadco with only a handful of adherents supporting it,” Mr Kaguchia said.
Vihiga senator Godfrey Osotsi warned that some of the recommendations of the report will require a referendum adding that should the government reject the call to have a referendum, then the Opposition will go back to the streets.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo said from the time he chaired the first committee, there has never been goodwill from the government on the talks.
Political analyst Dr Samuel Mbutu said Mr Odinga is at the moment likely to go back to proactive political activities such as street protests, coalition making, making amends with Mr Musyoka who has declared that he will run for the 2027 ‘elections, rebranding Azimio and other activities factors that will make the Nadco report to die a natural death.
He said implementation of the report is also likely to reinforce the Opposition hence the government may not be keen on it. “Chances of the Nadco report not seeing the light of the day is 90 per cent,” Dr Mbutu said.
Mr Odinga’s camp through sustained anti-government demos last year forced President Ruto to cede to dialogue in addressing Opposition concerns.
National Dialogue Committee co-chairpersons Kalonzo Musyoka (left) and Kimani Ichung’wah address journalists at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Nairobi on Wednesday, November 22.
Fidelity to the law and multiparty democracy are among the key issues that the national dialogue team tackled and came up with various recommendations to ensure that there is discipline in political parties.
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Political party discipline as expressed in different phrases as anti-defection; anti-floor crossing (particularly in parliamentary systems) or any party hopping is a principle of wide application which derives from the constitutional principle of multi-party democracy and governance.
“The Constitution be amended to promote multipartyism and fidelity to Political Parties by entrenching procedures for resignation and deregistration of members of political parties in seeking to ensure party discipline,” reads the Nadco report.
The team also recommended amendment of the law in order to include basic requirements of political parties, that every political party shall promote discipline within the party, conduct its affairs in a manner that promotes democracy and peaceful politics, and adheres to the values and principles of the Constitution in the nomination of persons to appointive or elective positions.
