Roba says mistrust forced UDM out of Azimio camp
Outgoing Mandera Governor Ali Ibrahim Roba has lifted the lid on his reasons for exit from the Raila Odinga-led Azimio-One Kenyacoalition to President-Elect William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Roba, the party leader of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), now says despite his outfit being one of the founder members of Azimio affiliate parties, he was never trusted as he was always suspected to be spying on their rivals.
“I was never trusted on the other side of Azimio; I was always told and reminded that I was more of William Ruto and that I was there representing his interests,” Roba, who is the Mandera Senator-elect said.
“Regrettably, in the Azimio arrangement, that we are ditching; the doors and windows were closed, engagements never worked but as pastoralists, we just stood firm and said, let us do this course,” he added.
Roba stated that long-standing unresolved issues in the Azimio coalition party plus “gate keepers” feeling threatened by the presence of other “uncomfortable partners” that spilled over into elections have contributed to their exit from President Uhuru Kenyatta-led coalition.
The county chief regretted that his outfit was struggling to fit within Azimio where they had already become unwanted guests.
“The least expected in partnerships is respect. It is not about positions but the feeling of belonging somewhere where you feel recognized, respected, and consulted,” he said, adding that “You can’t coerce people into loyalty. The engagement was replaced with chest-thumping,” said the governor when he signed a post-coalition agreement with the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Azimio la Umoja presidential running mate Martha Karua calling out Ruto for wooing Azimio members to his Kenya Kwanza camp, terming the act illegal. Karua held that Ruto is in direct violation of the Political Parties Act.
“It is unfortunate for anybody who aspires to lead this country, and for someone who is a deputy president of the outgoing government, to break the laws of the country,” she said.
Clear stipulations
Karua said the Political Parties Act, under which coalitions are built, has very clear stipulations that guide the movement of individuals from political coalitions.
“So for the deputy president to start wooing people, enticing them to leave a coalition without the requisite legal provisions, it’s either a display of impunity or gross ignorance of the law of the land,” she added.
Roba emphatically stated there is no legal agreement between UDM and or any other party for that matter.
According to him, what he is only aware that is that there was a purported discussion of an agreement, which his party had unsuccessfully written to the office of the registrar of political parties to be availed, and that never happened.
“The registrar of political parties was kind enough to write back to us and inform us that she had written to Azimio to furnish UDM a copy of the agreement which to date has not happened and as far as the law of the country is concerned,”
Roba held that the Azimio coalition will not coerce anybody into loyalty.
“You can only build friendship and grow the friendship so that it will turn into trust. The trust turns into loyalty and that loyalty you earn over time. That is what is lacking in Azimio,” he held.
He advised Azimio luminaries not to embarrass themselves by discussing the purported existence of a document that is not with any political party.
“The only legal agreement that is available on record is the one we’ve signed today. That is legally enforceable. The rest is not there,” he held arguing that they have consciously moved and that decision to join Kenya Kwanza was long done before the voting happened.
