Raila holds housekeeping meeting at Atwoli’s home amid friction in Azimio
Azimio-One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga on Sunday convened a retreat meeting amid growing tension within his camp ahead of the August general election.
The ODM boss held the meeting at COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli's Ildamat home in Kajiado county where he was accompanied by several leaders from the Azimio camp.
The meeting was meant to discuss the emerging issues that have rocked the Azimio camp in the past few weeks more so those regarding his running mate as well as the deal he had with the One Kenya Alliance before they formed a unit.
Raila who was in the company of Jubilee Vice-Chair David Murathe, Siaya Senator James Orengo, Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, Former Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju, Former Westlands MP Fred Gumo and Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe is also said to have discussed with the leaders a way forward for the Azimio-One Kenya Coalition party.
In the past few days, Raila has been forced to step in after some parties within Azimio threatened to walk out of the political formation because they felt that they were being sidelined in key decision-making processes in the coalition.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua had, for instance, threatened to walk out of Azimio stating the coalition's leadership was biased.
"What we want is to be treated with respect because we are doing this for Raila Odinga but we will not agree to be tricked and played and then we end up not being on the ballot," Mutua said in an interview with Citizen TV.
He added: "In a nutshell, there is a lack of trust and if at this time when they need us they are playing us, what will they do to us when we are already inside?"
Though Mutua's reservations on Azimio had been sorted, Atwoli who hosted Raila and other leaders at his home on Sunday, April 4 says, as reported by a local daily, that the meeting was key as it meant to forge a way forward for the coalition to ensure that there is no further fallout even after the nominations.
