The recent agreement between Kenya's government coalition, Kenya Kwanza, led by President William Ruto, and the opposition coalition, Azimio la Umoja, to form a joint committee is a significant step towards resolving their differences and addressing the ongoing protests over the cost of living and tax increases. The talks come after opposition leader Raila Odinga called for protests, leading to disruptions and violent confrontations with the police, resulting in casualties, Al Jazeera reported on July 29.
The joint committee will comprise four members of parliament, four members from outside parliament, and the majority and minority leaders from the national assembly, representing both sides equally. Both parties have agreed that their opposition to a controversial financial bill, signed into law in June, will be resolved in court, where it is currently being challenged. This bill includes measures such as doubling the value-added tax on fuel and introducing a new housing levy, which sparked protests led by Odinga.
In addition to addressing the financial bill, the talks will also focus on the composition of Kenya's election commission and the establishment of an office for Odinga, who has alleged cheating in previous elections and claimed that last year's presidential election was "stolen" from him.
Notably, Odinga's Azimio coalition stated that "facilitation" by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo played a crucial role in reaching the agreement, resulting in the formation of a 10-member committee with equal representation from both sides to iron out their differences.
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