The National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) has proposed the establishment of the office of the Prime Minister and that of the Leader of the Official Opposition.
The 10-member team announced in a joint statement released to newsrooms on Saturday that their 4-month deliberations resulted in the mutual decision to establish both offices to encourage national unity between the opposition and the administration.
The two seats are awaiting National Assembly approval, and if approved, the expected occupants, Musalia Mudavadi and opposition leader Raila Odinga, would be appointed by President William Ruto.
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Other issues the committee considered included the all-time high cost of living, for which they proposed that all branches of government slash their travel budgets by 50%.
They added: "...and that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) review Daily Subsistence Allowances for State and Public Officers to reduce by 30%."
In collaboration with the National Treasury, they also requested that the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum lower the road maintenance and anti-adulteration levies by Ksh.5 and Ksh.3 per liter. Currently, both levies are fixed at Ksh.18 per liter.
They did, however, state that they could not agree on lowering the VAT on gasoline from 16% to 8% and eliminating the housing fee, both of which have sparked outrage among Kenyans.
A legislative resolution was formed, the committee voted on August 29, and was given 60 days to deliberate on critical issues of concern to Kenyans and produce a report.
It deliberated on a five-point agenda: outstanding constitutional questions; electoral justice and related issues; enshrining finances in the Constitution; establishing and entrenching state offices; and fidelity to political parties/coalitions and the multiparty democracy statute.
Democratic Action Party Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has, however, rejected the committee's recommendations, citing that it failed to address key issues such as the cost of living.
"I didn't and will not append my signature to the NADCO report and have not and will not accept any sitting allowance for the same because I believe we did not do justice to the single most important issue to Kenyans: the cost of living," he said
On the other hand, President Ruto has accepted the report and asked kenyans to work together now.
"You've heard that those in charge of the Dialogue are done with that work, and we applaud them of finishing that task, now let us join hands and take Kenya forward," he said.
