Raila's Political War With Ruto to Take a New Turn on Tuesday

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has today started a five-day timeline in response to President William Ruto's side refusal to abandon a hardline stance on the bipartisan negotiations. 

Today, he will meet with other prominent members of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party at Kalonzo Musyoka’s home in Yatta to discuss the happenings of the week that saw their outfit suspend talks due to what they perceived as a lack of sincerity on the part of President Ruto's team. The anticipated 'Yatta Declaration' will precede an Azimio Parliamentary Group engagement on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, the National Assembly will resume sittings. 

The budget, set to be presented by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u on June 15th, will take priority. The former Prime Minister has encouraged Azimio MPs to oppose President Ruto's tax plans as he believes they are punitive and could lead to double taxation. On Tuesday, the Rarieda MP Dr Otiende Amollo and his Azimio team will provide an update on whether their counterparts from Kenya Kwanza led by George Murugara (Tharaka, UDA) have agreed to the four conditions set forth by Mr Odinga: reconstituting the IEBC, auditing the servers, prompt measures to lessen living costs and ending what they named Kenya Kwanza's aim to “incapacitate, kill or take over other parties” 

“Kenya Kwanza wants to continue with measures that make the cost of living even more expensive, they want to interfere with the IEBC servers, proceed with the picking of new IEBC commissioners and continue invading Azimio parties while we sit in boardrooms talking about the same issues,” Azimio said in a statement on Wednesday. 

Yesterday, Senate Majority Chief Whip Boni Khalwale slammed Mr Odinga for fuelling discord in the country without backing his allegation of tribal appointments in Ruto's administration. He added that the opposition leader is struggling to remain relevant.