Raila role headache derails unity talks

Nasa leaders Raila Odinga (right), Kalonzo Musyoka at Okoa Kenya offices in Nairobi on September 22, 2017. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Last week, Mr Godec said the US is not particularly pushing for any rewards or position for politicians.
  • The allies said part of the package would be a retirement deal commensurate with Mr Odinga’s long career.

Foreign diplomats pushing for dialogue between the National Super Alliance and President Uhuru Kenyatta want the public to determine the role opposition leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka should play in the aftermath of the elections.

It emerged on Monday that lobbying, spearheaded by the US, UK and Germany and the clergy is not aimed at the ultimate formation of a government of national unity, an idea repulsive to the Jubilee Party.

DIPLOMATS

Diplomatic sources revealed that they were yet to propose any particular roles for Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka — who claim to have won the August 8, 2017 elections — in the talks they have so far held with them.

“There are no particular roles suggested for Raila and Kalonzo. An agreement on their future should be spearheaded by Kenyans themselves,” said the source.

On Monday, Mr Odinga confirmed that the diplomats, who he met alone on Friday at his Capitol Hill office in Upper Hill, Nairobi, with his co-principals Mr Musyoka (Wiper), Mr Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford-K), have not suggested any position for him in the current set-up.

Instead, he said US ambassador Robert Godec was pushing for talks between the two political sides over electoral reforms.

“They have not gone to the details of what it should be. They only talk of bringing on board more stakeholders. But I have stated that they are interfering in what is basically a Kenyan affair which should be left to Kenyans to solve,” he said on the telephone.

DIALOGUE

Last week, Mr Godec said the US is not particularly pushing for any rewards or position for politicians but dialogue that will bring all Kenyans on board.

“The US continues to be committed to a national conversation involving all Kenyans to build national unity, address long-standing issues and  resolve divisions exacerbated by 2017 elections,” he said in a statement.

Earlier, some allies of Mr Odinga claimed that the US was pushing to have Mr Odinga elevated to a statesman as part of efforts to end the political standoff. The plan, they claimed, was to elevate the position to that of hierarchy of the ... State, complete with the trappings of state power.

The US wants the position to come with an office, a motorcade, staff and a commensurate package that will allow Mr Odinga to travel the world promoting Kenya’s image and giving talks on democracy, one of them told the Nation.

The allies said part of the package would be a retirement deal commensurate with Mr Odinga’s long career in the public service and a further promise to support his push for reforms.

REJECTED

However, the former prime minister is said to have rejected the proposals, saying they do not represent the interests of Kenyans yearning for electoral justice.

A source in Nasa said Mr Odinga also rejected the proposal because it does not take care of the interests of the larger Nasa family.

“Assuming I accept, what will I do with my colleagues in Nasa?” Mr Odinga is reported to have asked the ambassador when the proposal was made.

On Monday, Mr Odinga who is walking through a tricky path with his plans to be sworn in as the people’s president told the diplomats to keep off.

“They cannot come to tell us who should be this and that. We are talking about a stolen election and our aim is reforms to bring about electoral justice. We have never talked anything about that,” he said.

Nasa leaders have set January 30 as the deadline for talks with Jubilee party, failure to which Mr Odinga will be sworn in as the people’s president and Mr Musyoka as his deputy.

ELECTORAL INJUSTICE

The talks should revolve around electoral justice, reorganisation of the country’s governance structure, particularly the Executive and the Legislature, strengthening the Judiciary and devolution and security reforms.

The US is opposed to illegal actions by politicians but has pledged to support efforts towards dialogue. Though it doesn’t say it openly, Washington may mean it is opposed to issues demanded by Nasa to have elections repeated or the plan to swear in Mr Odinga.

Another diplomatic source expressed concern that the lobbying had not gathered momentum and that Jubilee had decided to wait for Nasa’s enthusiasm to fizzle out.

“Both sides have not made movement towards dialogue yet. Jubilee believes demands for electoral reform can be addressed progressively … as focusing on it now will slow down momentum of government to implement its promises. Nasa wants principals to meet with Uhuru first and agree on agenda … which must include electoral reforms,” said the source.

The source said foreign diplomats were of the view that the opposition coalition has been pushing itself into tight corners, citing the refusal to take part in the repeat elections of October 26 last year. “Now Jubilee believes there won’t be good faith from opposition even in dialogue,” he said.

JUBILEE

Jubilee secretary-general Raphael Tuju has dismissed calls for dialogue, arguing that there is no legal framework nor a constitutional reference for talks after one side in an election contest has been declared victor. He argues that Nasa leaders are seeking relevance after they lost.

“What is the legal basis or the constitutional reference for these talks? There is none, and what these people are trying is to be relevant after losing,” he said on the phone. He wondered if Nasa would have invited Jubilee for talks had they won. “If they had won the elections, would they have invited us for dialogue?”

He also accused foreign diplomats of trying to get President Kenyatta to hold talks with a rival he defeated.

In the past two weeks, Mr Godec has met Nasa parliamentary leadership led by Mr Wetang’ula, who is the senate minority leader and his counterpart in the National Assembly,

Mr John Mbadi. He has also met the Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka and majority leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale.

Nasa has refused to recognise Mr Kenyatta as the elected President, saying he was a product of a flawed electoral process, which Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka boycotted, accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of “stonewalling” deliberations to have a credible repeat elections.