Frustration is growing among Kenyans as political disagreements threaten to delay the release of the much-anticipated 10-point agenda emerging from the (NADCO) talks initiated by and former Prime Minister .
Speaking on Saturday during the burial of Mzee Edward Makokha in , former President of and parliamentary aspirant Henry Shitanda expressed concern over what he termed growing political infighting surrounding the report.
Shitanda urged leaders to prioritise national progress over internal disputes within political parties, warning that prolonged disagreements could undermine public confidence in the dialogue process.
“The country cannot be held hostage by conflicting reports on the 10-point agenda initiated by UDA and ODM,” Shitanda said. “We must move forward as a nation.”
The NADCO report, born out of negotiations between the and the , was designed to address key national concerns including electoral reforms, the cost of living and political inclusivity.
However, the report has now become entangled in political disputes that risk undermining its credibility even before its official release.
Shitanda raised concerns over competing timelines and differing approaches to unveiling the document, warning that the uncertainty is creating confusion among citizens.
“We hear the teams will present different findings between today and Sunday. That in itself is holding all of us hostage and putting the country in a precarious position when we should be concentrating on national progress,” he said.
According to Shitanda, disagreements have also emerged over how the report should be made public. One faction within the ruling (UDA) and (ODM) reportedly prefers the report to be tabled and discussed in a joint parliamentary group meeting.
Another faction — associated with and — is said to favour releasing the report directly to the public in the interest of transparency.
Shitanda, however, downplayed the procedural debate, saying the most important issue is the timely release of the report.
“The manner in which the report is unveiled does not matter to us,” he said. “What we want is for the report to be released so that we understand what challenges we must solve and how to move forward.”
He warned that while political leaders argue over the process, ordinary Kenyans remain focused on service delivery and solutions to pressing economic challenges.
“We cannot be held hostage by competing political interests over something as simple as how a report is to be released,” Shitanda said, urging leaders to reconcile their differences and finalise the process.
He added that releasing the report promptly would allow the government and opposition to refocus on addressing the country’s economic and governance concerns.
