No talks on personal or private issues, Ruto team tells Azimio

Kenya Kwanza has pledged to engage in the impending fresh talks with Azimio in utmost good faith but ruled out engagement on "issues that are of personal or private nature".

In a statement on Friday, delegation leader Kimani Ichung'wah told his Azimio counterpart Kalonzo Musyoka that talks will be conducted within the parameters of the Constitution and existing laws.

"We all know and appreciate the perils the country has suffered as a result of operating outside the parameters of the law and the Constitution. Therefore, respectfully, we will not participate in any manner on any issue that undermines any arm of government or undermines any decisions that have been made thereof by any arm of government or undermine our laws and the Constitution," Ichung'wah said.

Azimio has listed five issues they say will feature during the talks which will be facilitated by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

These are the cost of living, audit of the 2022 Presidential Election Results, restructuring and reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, measures to prevent interference with political parties and outstanding constitutional matters including governance issues, adequate checks and balances and the question of boundaries delimitation.

"As a party, we commit to respect the issues listed by Kenya Kwanza for the talks," Kalonzo said in his invite for the first joint meeting.

Kenya Kwanza has also listed five issues but steered clear of the cost of living and audit of the presidential poll results which largely ignited anti-government protests.

The government side will only indulge in discussions on the reconstitution of the IEBC Commission, implementation of two-thirds gender rule, entrenchment of Constituency Development Fund, establishment and entrenchment of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and embedment of the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary.

"We firmly believe that through this dialogue, as courageous patriots, we shall restore the faith of our nation's people in democratic ideals and put behind our country's history of cyclic culture of violence and impunity," Ichung'wah said.

The lining up of parallel agenda for the talks by both parties even before the two sides hold their first joint meeting already points to a serious deadlock.

It remains to be seen which way the talks will go but it's apparent the hardline stances and grandstanding threaten to scuttle the mediation.