The National Dialogue Committee this week held talks focusing on the thorny cost of living that has caused a major divide.
The committee led by leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichung’wah said that several experts have been invited to give their proposals on the issue.
“We have started tackling the difficult question of the cost of living. We have resolved that beginning next week we shall be inviting a number of experts to help us crack the numbers and be able to have proposals that will ease the burden Kenyans are bearing,” Inchung’wah said.
According to Ichung’wah, the cost of living cannot be discussed and agreed in a single sitting and the committee is exploring immediate, medium, and long-term solutions. He said they endeavor to conclude the process long before the lapse of the extension and table report to Parliament.
“We continue to appeal to all of you to help us raise adequate resources to be able to go through the next one month. We have bills pending at the Bomas of Kenya,” he said.
He said they have agreed on a number of issues including auditing of elections and are working on the how and the instruments to use. The decision by the committee came hours after Azimio leaders said they will not relent on their push to lower the cost of living. They threatened to pull out of the talks should their partners fail to heed their call.
Eugene Wamalwa and Martha Karua, members of the committee from the Azimio side, they will not join the team meeting in Elementaita if the cost of living is not factored in.
Kalonzo said the committee is dealing with a hardcore issue that must be addressed and they will not shy away from it. He noted that Kenyans have suffered due to the high cost of living, and they will do the best they can to have it addressed.
“We have started discussion on this very important matter. We know that Kenyans across the political divide are feeling the heat of the cost of living and I want to assure Kenyans that we are dealing with it head-on,” said Kalonzo.
Kalonzo urged the public and the media to desist from computing the amount of funds spent saying they are involved in the most critical exercise. He said they don’t want to get a shilling from the discussions.
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