Mixed fortunes as bipartisan talks end with no deal on cost of living

The nation was kept waiting for hours on the day that the much-awaited bipartisan talks report was to be released.

And after behind-the-scenes haggling that saw the mid-day announcement pushed to 5pm, the National Dialogue Committee co-chaired by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka emerged at 8.20pm at Hilton Garden Inn to announce they had agreed on the majority of the agenda save for how to tackle the high cost of living.

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition had listed the issue as an irreducible minimum but Kenya Kwanza remained adamant in its opposition to the scrapping of the housing levy and reduction of Value Added Tax on fuel from 16 per cent to 8 per cent.

The two issues have now been listed as those that the teams could not agree on and it will be up to the principals, President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga, and Parliament to decide how to progress once they receive the report.

However, the two sides agreed on the need to reduce government expenditure through austerity measures as part of efforts to reduce the cost of living.

In the agreement, the dialogue committee wants the government travel budgets reduced by 50 per cent.

The two issues have now been listed as those that the teams could not agree on and it will be up to the principals, President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga, and Parliament to decide how to progress once they receive the report.

However, the two sides agreed on the need to reduce government expenditure through austerity measures as part of efforts to reduce the cost of living.

In the agreement, the dialogue committee wants the government travel budgets reduced by 50 per cent.