Trouble rocks Azimio as Kalonzo and Raila differ over alliance deal
Confusion continues to mar Azimio la Umoja coalition pact with Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his ODM counterpart Raila Odinga allies reading from different scripts.
While Kalonzo says they had agreed on Azimio-One Kenya, Raila allies maintain the 24 political parties that appended signatures did so to join Azimio and not Azimio-One Kenya.
Yesterday Raila’s presidential campaign spokesman Makau Mutua, accompanied by the campaign board chair Ndiritu Muriithi, declared that the law does not provide for a coalition joining another coalition.
“An agreement was signed by secretary generals of the constituent political parties to join Azimio as a coalition party. The 24 political parties signed as single parties,” said Prof Mutua.
This is in total contradiction with what Kalonzo said regarding the two documents the officials of the parties signed.
Political jamboree
According to Kalonzo, during the event at KICC, the parties were presented with two documents to append signatures.
“If I asked all those party secretary generals present what they affixed their signatures to, nobody knows,” said Kalonzo.
However, contacted, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said there were only two documents that were presented for signing. He maintained one of the documents was to declare the party joining Azimio la Umoja while the other one was to declare Raila as the sole candidate for Azimio.
“As far as I am concerned, and as the secretary-general and High Court advocate, I signed two documents. One was to declare my party is part of Azimio and the other one was to declare the candidate for Azimio is Raila. If others don’t know what they signed then it’s regrettable,” he said.
During the Saturday political jamboree attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta, 24 parties, including Wiper, officially signed the coalition agreement, committing to join the Azimio la Umoja movement.
In addition, Prof Mutua, who is now campaigning for Raila, said other political parties are still outside and will still be accommodated in Azimio.
On matters running mate for the Azimio coalition, Mutua said that talks and negotiations are ongoing and that once the person has been identified, will be unveiled.
Mutua dismissed reports that Kalonzo had agreed to join Azimio on account that he will be made a running mate.
“Those political parties that have joined Azimio came unconditionally. Kalonzo has not demanded or asked to be the running mate. Discussions are still ongoing and once we have a candidate for that position, we will let you know,” said Mutua.
Yesterday, Kalonzo, who took his campaigns to Tharaka Nithi County accompanied by fellow OKA principal Gideon Moi, laughed off claims that there was a six-hour protracted debate on sharing of political seats among the Azimio la Umoja coalition before endorsing Raila as its presidential candidate on Saturday.
“There was nothing like six hours of protracted debate or discussion about anything because all these things have been agreed,” Kalonzo told KTN News yesterday morning.
“We insisted on structured dialogue. And that’s what you’ve been following. And the structured dialogue is important to avoid a situation where we are going forward under the grand coalition,” he said, adding the name of the grand coalition that will include Jubilee Party, ODM and One Kenya Alliance (OKA) will be preserved as Azimio One Kenya alliance.
“That is the name of the grand coalition, which will then be registered under the amended Political Parties Act as a coalition political party,” he added.
Kalonzo, who retreated to his Tseikuru backyard, intensified attacks on Raila’s allies in Ukambani including Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and Prof Kivutha Kibwana saying they were opposed to his signing of the Azimio deal.
Kalonzo has been under pressure to sign the agreement and support Raila for the presidency, a call he heeded to on Saturday after talks with the President.
Though governors Ngilu, Kibwana and Alfred Mutua welcomed Kalonzo to Azimio, the Wiper leader has been fighting the impression that he was a Johnny-come-lately as he struggles to stump authority in his Ukambani backyard.
“We knew they were forces. I don’t want to talk about anybody here. We knew there were forces and because some of them were calling, say Senator Enock Wambua, a hardliner, on Saturday I think the hardliners came out clearly,” said Kalonzo.
According to him, he still does not understand why Raila was accompanied by Governor Ngilu when he and President Uhuru were waiting to finalise coalition talks.
“President Uhuru and I were waiting for brother Raila to arrive and eventually when he did, he came with Ngilu. At that time, I also had to look for my brother Senator Gideon Moi because the idea was for the three of us,” he said.
Discounted claims
“So, when it became evident that brother Raila wanted to come with other people, then I had also called Gideon to come to my rescue,” he added.
Kalonzo discounted claims that he held Azimio la Umoja delegates at ransom saying that there “there’s nothing like the intrigues of a six-hour wait”.
“We were ready as OKA to proceed along with the basis of formation of the grand coalition based on a three-legged stool, African concept, and the three-legged stool approach that is Jubilee, ODM, and OKA, which is basically as the parties that signed the coalition agreement a day before the signing of the other one,” he said.
He went on: “So as far as OKA is concerned, we were ready. We had agreed on the way forward”.
“So, there’s a misconception that I kept everybody waiting for six hours. It was the other way around” he added.
According to Kalonzo, he was actually the one who was kept waiting for six hours. He explained that he was supposed to have a breakfast meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.
“Raila did not arrive on time but showed up at almost two o’clock. That was the truth. So, there is nothing like intrigues,” he said, adding that they were to move to KICC, the three of them.
Asked whether he is the designated running mate to Raila, he said, discussions about who will deputise Raila did not take place at all.
“We did not discuss those things,” he said.
Kalonzo says it does not matter whether he clinches the running mate slot, what is and will be important is what is in store for Kenyans saying he is a selfless leader.
“Some of us are that selfless. We do not go into it for personal gain. That’s why I say that. I’ve decided for the third time, to say Raila Odinga Tosha for the sake of his country. Without going into details about what Kalonzo is going to become,” said Kalonzo.
He said while discussions about who will be running mate are key; it is important to secure the nation-state.
