- On Saturday, the committee admitted to failing to agree on the matter of cost of living while unveiling the final report of its deliberations.
- The committee, however, tabled four key proposals to address the cost of living.
Image: PCS
President William Ruto has praised the National Dialogue Committee following the unveiling of its report containing several recommendations.
Speaking on Sunday, Ruto said the government will consider all the recommendations in the report.
"The team involved in dialogue talks have finished the process. I want to congratulate them for coming up with recommendations, and I have seen the recommendations, and they are good. Those that belong to the executive, I’ll execute without any delay," he said.
"We will work on the recommendations to address the areas they have recommended and to do whatever they have recommended in Parliament."
The President said Kenyans should now unite for development.
On Saturday, the committee admitted to failing to agree on the matter of cost of living while unveiling the final report of its deliberations.
In the report, both camps made proposals on key issues that were part and parcel of the talks in which they disclosed failure to hit a deal on Azimio's major concerns on taxes, the Finance Act, 2023 and the Housing Levy.
"The committee was unable to reach a consensus on a number of other proposals on the matter of cost of living, including the reduction of VAT on fuel from 16 per cent to 8 per cent and scrapping of the housing levy, the twin issues in the Finance Act, 2023," the report stated.
The committee, however, tabled four key proposals to address the cost of living.
"NADCO recommends that all arms of government shall reduce their travel budgets by 50 per cent and that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission review Daily Subsistence Allowances for State and Public Officers to reduce by 30 per cent," the first proposal read.
Some Azimio leaders have come out to express their dissatisfaction with the report urging Kenyans to reject it.
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua said it is wrong to pass proposals that do not impact Kenyans positively.
"Any purported agreement that does not immediately impact on the cost of living, electoral justice and respect for multiparty democracy is a fraud on the people and must be rejected," she said.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi reacted to the recommendations saying Kenyans no longer have anyone to defend their interests.
"If these are the proposals coming out of the national dialogue committee sitting for 90 days on a reduction in the existential high cost of living, then this country is incorrigible for sure," Amisi said.
"Kenyans are officially on their own. Wait for miracles at your own peril. We must disturb the stubborn status quo."
According to Amisi, the submissions by the NADCO committee do not meet the purpose for which it was formed- which was majorly to address the high cost of living as Kenyans were told.
"As much as we demanded the cost of living to feature highly in the reports, we never envisage a haphazardly organised phrase to satisfy our appetite," the lawmaker said.