Suna West lawmaker Peter Masara has urged the national committee on bi-partisan dialogue to fasten the process for the benefit of Kenyans who are overburdened by the ever-increasing cost of life.
While expressing his concerns about the high cost of life at Maranatha Church in Migori, he complained about the prolonged talks at the Bomas of Kenya saying it exposes Kenyans to consequences of high rates of inflation.
”I am saddened by the cost of living in Kenya that has become unbearable to many. Most citizens cannot afford three meals a day as a result of the ever rising cost of basic commodities,” he said.
The MP argued that most parents cannot take care of the school fees and food today because of the confusion and frustrations caused by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Masara who is a member of the parliamentary budget committee called on the National Dialogue Committee on bi-partisan talks to stop the talks and let the rubber meet the road.
“The National Dialogue Committee has now accepted that life has become unbearable for Kenyans. I want to tell them say that time is of essence and Kenyans want to see actions,” he said.
He added that the need to reduce the cost of living does not need any referendum or committee but a cabinet memo.
He urged the dialogue committee to set a timeline with which it would reduce the cost of basic commodities, referring to cooking floor and cooking oil which have been affected by the high prices of fuel nationally.
“Lowering the cost of these basic commodities does not need any legislation. We ought to have had a Cabinet memo aiming to cushion Kenyans at this particular time when life has become an uphill task,” said Masara.
Lack of Jobs causing demonstrations
The MP referred to the cycles of demonstrations in the nation, saying that they are mainly caused by the reluctance by the government to create job opportunities for the youth.
He said that most youth are graduates who decide to settle for the limited manual jobs to catter for their unlimited needs.
“Most of these youth depend on jobs which earn them wages of less than Shs400 which cannot take care of all their needs yet the government is adamant to give them jobs,” he said.
He also condemned the government for lowering Kenya’s quality of education by introducing a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), a system with a low teacher-to-student ratio.
The MP continued to caution President William Ruto together with his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua to break the silence by coming up with resolutions to save Kenyans whom they took oath to serve.
“People cannot continue to suffer yet nobody is selling any hope for them. The deliberate silence of the president and his deputy is a clear sign that they ignorant about the lives of Kenyans and should not be tolerated,” he echoed.
Presidential term limits dead on arrival
Masara however, condemned the memorandum by the Kapseret Member of Parliament, Oscar Sudi, proposing to increase the presidency term limits.
He said that that it is time for leaders to come together and concentrate on national agenda of lowering the cost of life and not the side shows that will take the nation back in the years of dictatorship.
“I want to ask Kenyans of goodwill to unite through whatever means for the purpose of giving hopes to fellow Kenyans because this is what matters at this time,” he added.
He however, lauded the committee on bipartisan dialogue on attempts to find a solution to the national shakeups urging them to settle the most urgent thing which is the exceeding inflation.
The clergy’s responsibilities
He also urged the religious leaders to call for national unity and good leadership which will propel the nation towards the right direction.
He reminded the clergy of their role to actively participate in the process of ensuring that peace remains a constant factor in the country by always interceding for Kenyans and calling upon the spirit of unity for a purpose.
A bi-partisan dialogue committee was formed by a team of leaders from both the government and the opposition to iron out the electoral injustices and find solutions to the most critical issues, cost of living included.
Masara’s call on the dialogue committee to fasten the talks has come just days after the leader of opposition, Raila Odinga called for a meeting with the members of the public on October 10, 2023.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader called for the meeting during his visit at the coast where he criticized the government for adding more taxes without a solution to the increasing rate of inflation.
This will be parallel to the national Huduma Day celebrations which will be presided over by President William Ruto.
The MP for Suna West is currently serving his second term in parliament having been re-elected on ODM, having served his first term on an independent ticket.
Biko Steve 
IAN BYRON