Alfred Mutua: I now pledge my loyalty to DP Ruto

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has ditched Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition for Kenya Kwanza Alliance accusing the Raila Odinga led coalition of blackmailing small parties.

Speaking in Nairobi, Dr Mutua said that he has signed an agreement with Kenya Kwanza.

“I already have a copy unlike that for Azimio. I will transverse Kenya campaigning for William Ruto as I believe he is the best president to take Kenya forward,” he said.

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The Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader said that their agreement with Kenya Kwanza is very open and has no zoning adding: “we shall be in government one way or the other.”

Last month, Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader and Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, his Makueni counterpart Kivutha Kibwana, Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) secretary general Eseli Simiyu and his Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU) counterpart Phillippe Sadhja demanded a re-negotiation of the Azimio coalition agreement, saying they had been given the short end of the stick. Other parties are Kenya Reform Party, Narc and Maendeleo Democratic Party.

The seven parties, under what they called the Mwanzo Mpya caucus within Azimio, accused President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee, Mr Odinga’s ODM and Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper of not giving them their fair share, and making all decisions unilaterally. This forced a closed-door meeting between them and Azimio party leader Raila Odinga.

The coalition party brings together more than 20 political parties with the three parties considered the “big brothers” in the coalition.

The team also demanded that all Azimio parties be allowed to propose a candidate for Mr Odinga’s running mate post, further escalating the tensions in the outfit, as Mr Musyoka and Mt Kenya region angling for the position.

But it was on the proposed zoning – where parties in a coalition are allowed exclusive rights to field candidates in a region – that the parties stamped their feet, demanding an urgent review.

“We as political parties are in elections to win, and we will not allow ourselves to be caught up in nominations, or zoning. Some parties in Azimio have appointed themselves the heads and told the rest of us to take it or leave it. We do not accept that,” said Dr Mutua.