Editor's Review

The committee had been given sixty days by Parliament to deliberate key issues of interest to Kenyans.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has tabled a motion seeking to extend the mandate of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) for thirty days.

Speaking on Tuesday, October 17, on the floor of the house, Ichung’wah explained that the extension will allow the bipartisan committee to finalize issues for negotiations and make appropriate policy and legal reforms.

“Conscious that the resolution as passed by both houses of parliament requires the committee to report to the leadership of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio coalition within sixty days from 29 August 2023, recognizing the need for the committee to conclude the consideration of the issue for negotiations, the process of making appropriate policy and legal reforms of the issues framed by the committee, the houses resolve to extend the mandate of the committee by a further 30 days until November 26, 2023,” said Ichung’wah.

The Kikuyu MP noted that the dialogue committee has made progress in the exercise of its mandate and has so far formulated and adopted a framework, adopted a statement of issues, unbundled the issues, and agreed on the prioritization of the issues.

File image of Kimani Ichung'wah.

Ichung’wah also said the committee conducted public participation and stakeholder engagement in line with the requirements of the constitution and analyzed the memoranda that were submitted.

This comes days after Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot said the bipartisan committee reached a consensus on the creation of the Office of the Official Leader of Opposition and the embedding of the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.

The committee also agreed on entrenchment into the constitution of the Constituency Development Fund, National Government Affirmative Action Fund, Senate Oversight Fund two-thirds gender rule, and fidelity to political parties.