Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura yesterday addressed the postponement of the national multi-sectoral dialogue forum announced by President William Ruto, shedding light on the reasons behind its delay.
Originally slated to commence on Monday, July 15, the six-day dialogue aimed to tackle pressing national issues by convening representatives from political parties, religious groups, civil society, employers, and youth.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Mwaura disclosed that disagreements between the opposition and the government had stalled progress on critical agenda items.
“Discussions are ongoing within both sides. As you may be aware, the opposition has its supporters, and they need to dialogue first, just as we are doing on our side,” he explained.
He emphasized that a final participant list had not yet been finalized and highlighted the potential use of technology to facilitate consensus without physical meetings.
“It is also important to note that we must not necessarily sit and talk. We may even use technology and agree on any issues. So let us be patient,” he stated.
Simultaneously, Mwaura made a plea to the youth, urging them to suspend demonstrations and allow room for constructive dialogue with the government.
He acknowledged President Ruto’s responsiveness to Gen Z’s demands, such as dismissing his cabinet, dissolving 47 state corporations, halting Chief Administrative Secretary appointments, and rejecting the Finance Bill 2024.
“We make a passionate appeal to the youth to reconsider their plans to halt the demonstrations since that which they clamoured for was acceded to. The government reaffirms that the president has heard your loud voices and is ready to act on your concerns as demonstrated by recent developments,” he stated.
Mwaura also lamented the economic toll of recent protests, citing losses exceeding Kes. 6 billion. He detailed the impact of frequent closures of businesses during Tuesday and Thursday protests since mid-June, attributing additional financial losses to looting and property damage by disruptive elements.
“We cannot forget the business people who suffered losses worth billions of shillings as their businesses remained closed. We wish to empathise with them as they strive to recoup their lost incomes. Overall, the country has lost approximately Ksh.6 billion as a result of demonstrations, according to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).”
He expressed concerns that continued protests could exacerbate economic challenges, particularly with a projected revenue shortfall of Kes. 346 billion due to the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024.
“Fears abound that if the protests continue, the economy will have a negative impact in this financial year as well and we have a huge tax hole as a result of the rejection of Finance Bill 2024 amounting to Ksh.346 billion.” Mwaura cautioned, underscoring the importance of stability for economic recovery.
