Azimio la Umoja Spokesperson Prof Makau Mutua has told off members of the coalition who do not support the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.
Taking to X on Monday, Makau encouraged members of the coalition who opposed the report to leave.
“Azimio isn’t a forced marriage. Please leave if you can’t support the NADCO report which is the product of the party’s agreed democratic processes,” Makau stated.
This call comes in response to criticism from Azimio co-principals Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa, who have openly rejected the report’s recommendations.
The NARC Kenya party boss voiced her dissatisfaction with the report on December 8, citing its failure to address key issues such as the cost of living, an audit of the 2022 General Election, and respect for political parties and multiparty democracy.
Karua argued that the NADCO report lacked substance to alleviate citizens’ suffering and accused it of favoring leadership over the people.
“While concluding in the NADCO Report, we have to say, it has nothing to alleviate the suffering of citizens but it offers goodies to the leadership. This is totally unacceptable. It is a fraud upon Kenyans. It should be frowned upon and rejected. It is a distracting national smokescreen,” Karua said.
The Azimio co-principal also pointed to the Finance Act 2023 as a major contributor to the high cost of living in Kenya.
“In any talks, the part that makes the talks succeed is the party in power. These talks have failed because the Kenya Kwanza regime and Ruto himself have nothing but contempt for Kenyans. You fool around for 8 months and you come with zero results,” she stated.
Echoing Karua’s sentiments, NADCO committee member and leader of the Democratic Action Party Kenya (DAP-K) Eugene Wamalwa, similarly expressed dissent over the report, saying he refused to sign it and rejected the sitting allowance.
Furthermore, Wamalwa stated that the committee did not adequately address the crucial issue of the cost of living.
“I didn’t and will not append my signature to the NADCO report and have not and will not accept any sitting allowance for the same because I believe we did not do justice to the single most important issue to Kenyans; the cost of living,” he said.
The NADCO report, presented on November 25 under the chairmanship of Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichungw’ah, outlined recommendations including a proposal to reduce road maintenance and anti-adulteration levies.
“NADCO recommends that the National Government finalizes the transfer of all devolved functions and provides for the concomitant resources to the county governments,” read the committee’s statement.
Notably, President William Ruto, from the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition, embraced the NADCO recommendations, commending the committee’s four-month effort.
“You’ve heard that those in charge of the Dialogue are done with that work, and we applaud them of finishing that task, now let us join hands and take Kenya forward,” Ruto stated.
