THE PRESIDENTS GESTURE TO REACH OUT TO CORD LEADERS IS APPLAUDABLE
As the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, COTU(K) was preparing for this years International Labour Day celebrations, we on 9th April 2016 appealed to the Jubilee Government to meeting with their counterparts from the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, CORD with a view to both parties from government and opposition entering into dialogue.
These same sentiments were repeated separately on 24th April at COTU (K) Labour Day celebrations Prayers at St. Stephens Church Jogoo Road and echoed on 1st May, 2016 at Uhuru Parks venue of our Labour Day celebrations in which COTU (K) alluded to the need for government to urgently meet opposition leaders in the country and stop calling each other names as such move was putting Kenya on the brink of utmost confusion and straining Kenyans unnecessarily.
During COTU (K)s Delegates Conference in Kisumu on 21st May, 2016, we further appealed to His Excellency the President Uhuru Kenyatta and his government to immediately initiate dialogue with the Kenyan opposition and cited that world over; the modern way of solving problems and misunderstandings is through dialogue and negotiations.
COTU (K) referred Kenyans to the United Nations with its own agencies including Financial Institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, (IMF), World trading blocs like the European Union, (EU) North American Free Trade Agreement, (NAFTA), Association of South-East Asia Nations, (ASEAN) , the Americas as well as the African Union where World leaders of these bodies embrace upon dialogue including at the World Trade Organisation, (WTO) where Kenya itself has played a key role in its dialogue and negotiation structures.
Thence Kenya cannot be left in denial and portend self to be unique globally where government cannot talk to the opposition or vice versa and it is against this background that COTU(K) takes this opportunity and exception to highly thank H.E. the President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto for having availed the unexpected Political gesture to meet with Kenyas opposition leaders Hon. RailaOdinga and his Co-principle Moses Wetangula yesterday.
COTU(K) urges the two parties to continue this trend and dialogue with a view to defusing the heightened Political temperatures and tension in the Country that had gripped both workers and the business community at large.
Both parties should embrace consultations often until they realize positive results that will translate into an atmosphere of calm and peace thus introduce new dimensions in Kenyas Politics both before and after our 2017 elections.
Francis Atwoli, NOM(DZA) EBS, MBS
SECRETARY GENERAL