Political parties lobby back Raila's call for national dialogue to calm protests

A lobby bringing all political parties together on Friday announced that they're backing former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's call for a national intergenerational dialogue.

The Political Parties Liason Committee announced that they're backing a national conversation echoed by Raila to help calm the rising political temperatures that have occasioned mass protests against President William Ruto's administration.

Political Parties Liason Committee Vice Chairperson Christopher Kilonzo and the organisation's Organising Secretary Andrew Njoroge led their members in a press briefing in Nairobi to propose national dialogue for the country, arguing that the discontentment that the Generation Z has with the government can best be tackled through dialogue and not endless street protests that has led to deaths, destruction and creation of uncertainty.

"We are a dialogue committee for all registered political parties. We serve as a neutral dialogue platform and are ready to help solve the crisis our country is facing because we are now standing at a critical crossroads," said Kilonzo.

Kilonzo christened their proposal as the birth of a new national moment aimed at ending the ongoing civic unrest occasioned by protests.

"We propose a national conversation that is citizen-led. This is not the time for delay but action. The protests have brought a breakdown of trust in public institutions in the country," said Kilonzo.

Kilonzo said it is time the country should move from anger to action. According to them, the process will be all-inclusive and everyone will be given the opportunity to present their views.

"As opposed to past dialogue initiatives led by politicians, we propose that this be led by the people themselves so that politicians do not take centre stage in its recommendations," said Kilonzo.

The group promised Kenyans that they're proposing talks that are not political negotiations behind closed doors.

"Issues such as police brutality and corruption will be exhaustively discussed, and their outcomes will be implemented. The dialogue will tackle youth unemployment," said Njoroge.

They urged President William Ruto to support their move, explaining that their intention is informed by national interest.

"We urge Ruto to come and support this. We also urge all political players to stop early campaigning and give dialogue a chance," explained Njoroge.

Political Parties Liaison Committee vice-chairperson Christopher Kilonzo and the organisation's secretary, Andrew Njoroge, issue statement on national dialogue proposal. They argue that matters of police brutality and corruption that have led to protests in the country can be… pic.twitter.com/NIM6elsg0s

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Raila has called for an urgent national dialogue to address Kenya's socio-political and economic crisis that has seen thousands troop to the streets in protests over recent months.

As Kenyans marked the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba protests on Monday, Odinga said that Kenyans are grappling with many of the same issues that sparked the 1990 demos, including economic hardships and human rights violations.

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• Political parties lobby back Raila's call for national dialogue to calm protests
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He was set to hold a rally in Nairobi's Kamukunji grounds but called it off amid a heavy police presence and roadblocks on major highways into the city.

Instead, the ODM leader held a press conference where he proposed the establishment of what he called a national conclave to chart a new path for the country through collective civic engagement and reform.

"The most important struggle is for good governance and economic opportunities," Raila, who was among the vocal young political leaders opposing then-President Daniel Moi's regime in the 1090s, said.

He urged Kenyans to choose unity over unrest, saying, "Do we embrace chaos, or a coming together of minds and a country? As a living architect of the events leading to Saba Saba, I choose a coming together of minds and a country in the interests of the country."

At the centre of his proposal is a broad-based, intergenerational 'national conclave' that would gather voices from across the political, generational, and regional spectrum.

This forum must be tasked with crafting "irreducible reforms and changes necessary to take the country forward," said Odinga, and should culminate in a referendum to give citizens the final say.

He outlined four key pillars for the proposed civic dialogue: deliberation through the conclave; police reforms; transparency and a renewed fight against corruption; and youth empowerment and economic inclusion.

"You know a rogue police force that shoots people with impunity; this is a force that we inherited from the colonialists," Odinga told reporters, calling for urgent reforms to build public trust in security agencies amid recent cases of police brutality during the youth-led protests.

The conclave, he added, should be led by "the most serious and sober minds in our nation."