Azimio partner parties, led by Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, have threatened to leave the newly formed coalition party, which is fielding Raila Odinga as its presidential candidate.
In a press conference on Wednesday, April 6, Mutua lamented the big parties’ alienation, claiming that they were kept out of critical coalition decisions.
Officials from the party released a list of demands to the Azimio la Umoja movement coalition, threatening to find new political allies if their demands are not honored within the next 48 hours.
On September 6, 2020, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua announced his presidential campaign for 2022.
On September 6, 2020, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua announced his presidential campaign for 2022.
“The document needs to be renegotiated to ensure that all interests are taken care of. The agreement should not be decided by three parties In the same way that they have introduced zoning through some technical terms, we want them to be done away with. As explained we have our candidates across the country hence we cannot subject our members to such zoning programs that they are trying to bring.”
“We must be listened to in order to fully join them. It must be known that time is running out but we still have options that we can invoke anytime,” Mutua stated.
Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap Party, the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) led by Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, Muungano led by Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, Chama Cha Uzalendo, and Kenya Reforms Party are among the groups who signed the proclamation.
Mutua pointed out that just a small group of his party’s members had been given access to the draft coalition agreement for a limited time.
He stated unequivocally that such behavior would not be permitted, and that they would not sign the deal unless their demands were addressed.
“We have not been given the draft coalition agreement to go through. Only some of our people have been shown and not allowed to look at it for long and yet we are expected to sign to it.
“In the document, they are forming a leadership head of just ODM, Jubilee, Wiper…they are the ones to decide where the rest of us will fit,” Mutua lamented.
DAP-K Secretary-General Eseli Simiyu echoed Mutua’s comments, saying that determining Raila’s running partner should involve all parties.
“We expect all party’s National Delegates Convention (NDCs) to give the name of Raila’s running mate, not the decision to be made by a few people. The running mate has to be named by the same people who named the former Prime Minister as the flagbearer,” he stated.
On the other hand, Kibwana announced the formation of Mwanzo Mpya, a caucus that would negotiate on behalf of the parties present at the meeting. He also suggested that the Azimio la Umoja team include the caucus in the coalition agreement draft.
“Other people are now asking to be at the front seats of the coalition, when they had doubts about Azimio, we sacrificed to be founding members of the coalition. Some of us gave up our presidential ambitions because we believed Raila, given his history, was the candidate.
“We can’t be wished away like that. Some people called us small parties but you will never know until after the elections when the results are announced. We believe that the parties in Mwanzo Mpya will make a mark in this year’s election,” he stated.
