Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has criticized the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) over the slow implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 19, Kuria said he had hoped the NADCO report would pave the way for a referendum.
The former CS argued that Kenya’s challenges are similar to a 'tumour' that cannot be solved by temporary power-sharing deals like a handshake or broad-based arrangements.
“I was clinging to the hope that the NADCO process would culminate in a referendum, most likely as the 7th ballot during the 2027 General Elections.
“Why? Because as I have said before, we have a malignant tumor in our body politic which we keep trying to heal through anesthesia such as Handshake, broad-based based etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseam,” he stated.
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Kuria warned that the NADCO report risks collapsing like the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) during Uhuru’s tenure.
“Sadly, what I saw yesterday was an otherwise promising national moment being reduced to a dowry paid by UDA to ODM.
“Not even other constituent parties in both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza were consulted. We are treading on a trodden path littered with corpses like BBI,” Kuria added.
President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga on Monday, August 18, chaired a joint UDA and ODM PG meeting at the KCB leadership center in Karen.
During the meeting, MPs pledged to prioritize the implementation of the 10-point agenda, describing it as the cornerstone of their joint legislative and development programme.
The UDA and ODM lawmakers also agreed to prioritize parliamentary cooperation for the national interest.
"Recognizing the mandate of Parliament as the people's institution, we pledge to collaborate on matters of concern to the nation guided by the principles of transparency, accountability, and service to the people,” a joint statement read in part.
The MPs further agreed to organize a retreat later this year to enhance cohesion and operational efficiency.
"A retreat for the joint Parliamentary Group shall be organized later in the year, as part of the conscious steps to build harmony and streamline working operations to achieve all the objectives as underscored in the Memorandum of Understanding," the statement concluded.
