Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Party Executive Director Raphael Tuju has affirmed the coalition principals are working to resolve disputed matters.
Tuju stated after meeting with the coalition’s several Secretaries-General that the principals will also discuss the problems presented by the One Kenya Alliance (OKA).
He expressed confidence that the enlargement of the coalition council from seven to eleven members under the coalition political party would be resolved.
He also assured the OKA parties that the agreement that had been deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties had not been altered.
Tuju further stated that the public will be shown the certified copy.
This comes after Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party protested the coalition party agreement submitted on April 9, alleging it was altered without the consent of all parties with regard to three issues, including selection of a running mate.
The latest feud has everything to do with a recent deal Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga struck to appease rebelling leaders of small parties, who threatened they had “other alternative options,” interpreted as joining Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance, if they continued being taken for granted in the coalition.
Last evening, Wiper party was among parties under OKA that signalled objection to the registration of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition political party and the subsequent coalition agreement, citing the three contentious issues.
In a letter that will reportedly be filed with the Registrar of Political Parties, authored under the OKA banner, the group protests the agreement lodged on April 1 “was withdrawn and certain clauses amended or altered without the consent of all the parties and signatories.”
A copy of the letter dated April 11, however, only signed by Secretaries-General Bernard Wafukho (United Democratic Party) and Shakila Abdalla (Wiper). Nick Salat (Kanu) and Linus Opiyo (MDG) haven’t signed it.
The group objects to the registration of the coalition political party agreement, citing the three issues that “have not been agreed upon.”
OKA says the number of caucuses had been agreed as three on April 1 but four had been presented on April 9.
The initial “three legged” pillars of the coalition were ODM, Jubilee and OKA but an extra one was added in the subsequent deal to quell a rebellion by leaders of small parties under the Mwanzo Mpya caucus.
Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader Alfred Mutua has, however, accused Kalonzo Musyoka of being selfish, for advocating for the exclusion of other Azimio constituent parties.
The Machakos Governor faulted Musyoka for objecting to the expansion of Azimio by pushing for a three-legged stool of three parties namely ODM, Jubilee and Wiper, while disregarding other outfits.
“I am, therefore, surprised that OKA are talking about inclusivity on one hand but advocating for exclusion of over 20 political parties signed up to form Azimio,” he stated.
Mutua further accused Kalonzo of using blackmail, and urged the Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga not to bow to blackmail and extortion.
“This political selfishness is the problem that we have faced in this country, of leaders and opportunists who whine and blackmail all the time and who pit their selfish interests and not those of wananchi first,” he added.