Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka addresses the press at the party's headquarters in Karen, Nairobi, on July 10, 2024.
Wiper Democratic Movement party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has said he is not interested in joining hands with the Kenya Kwanza government as he does not want to be associated with President William Ruto’s administration.
The former Vice-President dismissed talks that opposition outfit Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party is warming up to the idea of a government of national unity. Speaking during the Wiper National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi yesterday, Mr Musyoka said the coalition will soon convene and make it categorical to its leader, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, that Kenyans do not want to be associated with the Ruto regime.
“We will tell him that Kenyans do not want dialogue. We do not want to be seen to be sanitising a regime that has failed,” he said.
President Ruto had on Tuesday announced plans for “a broad-based political arrangement”, which pundits took to mean a government of national unity.
Peaceful protesters
On Wednesday, July 10, Mr Musyoka also took a swipe at the National Police Service for using excessive force against peaceful protesters.
He urged the rank and file of the police service not to be used by their commanders to kill, injure and maim young protesters.
“We cannot be abducting, killing and destroying the lives of our future leaders,” Mr Musyoka said in reference to the recent abduction of Mr Joshua Okayo, the President of the Kenya School of Law. The Wiper party further accused the Kenya Kwanza regime of stalling the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report.
Wiper Secretary-General Shakila Abdalla lauded President Ruto for assenting to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024, but called for the enactment of the remaining Bills in order to give life to the Nadco report.
Ms Abdalla pointed out that, had President Ruto acted on several issues pressing Kenyans and fully implemented the Nadco report, the chaos and deaths that were witnessed over the past few weeks would have been avoided.
“As Wiper, we are extremely disappointed with the dragging of feet and lack of goodwill from the Kenya Kwanza regime. The present circumstances, however, afford all of us an opportunity to re-look at these pieces of legislation and ask the question: are they relevant at this time? Nonetheless, our party is committed to the full implementation of the Nadco report,” Ms Abdalla said.
Dialogue
The party also dismissed calls for dialogue to resolve issues affecting the country, saying, previous efforts have borne no fruit.
“You do not need dialogue ... to investigate public debt because the auditor-general’s office has the same role. The attempt to [subvert] the Constitution by forming a task force on the subject is equally telling. You do not need dialogue to post medical interns and sack corrupt government officials,” she said.
On Tuesday, Mr Musyoka said the remaining eight Bills contained in the Nadco report need to be reviewed to align them with the political realities.
Mr Musyoka also regretted that the cost of living, an agenda item pushed by the opposition but rejected by the government, is among the grievances that have been cited by the protesters.
“We undertook that process with gusto and an open mind as Azimio but [National Assembly Majority Leader] Kimani [Ichung’wah] and his Kenya Kwanza team convinced us that it was the government’s responsibility and the opposition had no part to play in the discussions about the high cost of living,” he said.
“I hope that in the light of recent development, my friend Kimani would have revised that thought because again Finance Act 2024 and the riots have lost young Kenyans,” he added.
Mr Ichung’wah, who co-chaired the talks, however, said on Tuesday that the remaining Bills will be given priority. The proposed legislation that emanated from the Nadco talks and that are yet to be considered include the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Elections Offenses (Amendment), Bill, 2023 and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Others are the Statutory Instruments (Amendments) Bill, 2023, Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the National Government Coordination (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
