How Azimio wrangles scuttled Uhuru, Raila planned mega launch

Silent wars in the Azimio la Umoja train, that Raila Odinga leads, scuttled a mega-rally that was planned to launch the coalition, even as the One Kenya Alliance heads put off a planned event today to sign agreements among the constituent parties.

While the plan was that the coalition will be launched yesterday after Jubilee Party and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) held their National Delegates Conventions on Saturday, the rally was halted at the last minute, with President Uhuru Kenyatta saying the team will instead hold rallies countrywide before unveiling their candidate in two weeks.

This, it’s understood, was to allow One Kenya Alliance (OKA) to negotiate with the Azimio team, in what the OKA team has demanded must be structured talks.

“We’ll go round the country and after two weeks, I’m certain that we will come back here (Nairobi) to unveil our candidate,” President Kenyatta, said while paying glowing tribute to Mr Odinga.

However, he said nothing about his candidature, in what strategists say was to make OKA comfortable as they negotiate. 

Mr Musyoka wants it called the Azimio-One Kenya Alliance coalition and has called for “structured talks”  to be led by President Kenyatta.

Yesterday, the OKA team threw another spanner in the works when they postponed their planned coalition registration.

“We continue to receive requests from various political formations that have expressed interest in joining us. Therefore, in the spirit of inclusivity, we have rescheduled the official unveiling of the OKA coalition as well as the signing of the coalition agreement to a later date this week so as to accommodate our new partners,” OKA spokesperson Fred Okang’o said in a statement last evening.

The statement came moments after the team met Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) leader Moses Kuria, who said he was ready to join OKA, but only if they don’t join Azimio, a curious demand.

Countrywide tours

In the statement by Mr Okang’o, there was no direct reference to the Kuria statement, or the meeting, and what his demand to join the outfit means for the alliance.

“Whereas we share many ideals between CCK and OKA, we agreed to work together, as long as OKA is not in the Azimio Coalition, which is incompatible with myself and CCK,” Mr Kuria said in a statement after the meeting.

Even then, as had been promised by President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, a 10-day campaign schedule was released by the team, signalling the start of the countrywide tours.

The Nation understands that, after the rallies, the team has set March 12 as the new tentative date for the Azimio coalition launch.  

The rallies begin on Wednesday in Nakuru, before heading to Kisii and Nyamira on Thursday, Machakos in Friday, Bungoma on Saturday and Nyeri on Sunday. On Tuesday next week, the team heads to Wajir, before finalising the 10-day blitz in Busia.

While Mr Odinga is expected to attend all the rallies, Mr Musyoka and President Kenyatta are said to plan to only attend a few of them, with a decision on which ones yet to be made.

While these are symptoms of the silent wars in Mr Odinga’s camp, it’s a problem also facing his chief opponent, Deputy President William Ruto, whose Kenya Kwanza Alliance brings together Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya and Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) of former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto. 

For the two leading candidates, these silent wars include the scramble for the running-mate positions, disputes over calls for zoning of regions and resistance against proposals for joint nominations. There are also tensions around modalities for picking aspirants in the primaries and the pecking order during campaigns.

And, with both the DP and Mr Odinga keen on naming their running mates from Mt Kenya region, the Nation has learnt of simmering tensions in the DP’s camp as six of his lieutenants eye the position.

The strain has further been caused by the entry of Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula into the equation. MPs Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira) and Alice Wahome (Kandara), as well as Tharaka Nithi Senator, Prof Kithure Kindiki and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, are some of the names touted as the DP’s potential running mates.

While on a campaign tour of Mt Kenya East on Saturday, the DP paraded the leaders and held their hands in show of unity. 

On Mr Odinga’s side, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, OKA co-principal Martha Karua, Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya are some of the names being mentioned as his possible running mates.

Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign board spokesperson Elizabeth Meyo said the ODM leader “will settle on a running mate who helps move his unity agenda forward, regardless of region of origin”.

The two camps are also faced with the dispute on zoning, where ANC and Ford-Kenya, for instance, want Western region to be reserved for them. 

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) members from the region have opposed such an idea, insisting they will not cede any ground for the two parties. Kimilili MP Dismas Barasa and his Sirisia counterpart John Waluke have been vocal against the region, especially Bungoma County, being reserved for their coalition partners.

For Mr Odinga, Democratic Action Party (DAP-K) associated with Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa is headed for a major clash with ODM in Western. Through its Secretary-General Eseli Simiyu, the party has announced that it will field candidates across the board except the presidency, despite ODM considering the region as its stronghold. 

At the Coast, ODM is facing a challenge from Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (PAA). Joint nominations are increasingly becoming a headache due to fear of established parties like ODM and UDA. The Political Parties Act requires that only certified members take part in the primaries.

Joint nominations

This will disadvantage small parties should they agree to joint nominations. ODM and UDA have a huge numerical strength in terms of membership that will play to their advantage in case of joint nominations.

ODM Deputy Party Leader Wycliffe Oparanya, however, says its only joint nominations that sibling rivalry at the General Election will be addressing and guarantee majority seats. He lamented that such rivalry cost the party several seats in Kisii, Nyamira, Western and Nairobi in 2017.

“There’s no need for parties to fear joint nominations. We lost so many seats and we can’t afford to lose again as we need numbers in the three Houses—National Assembly, Senate and County Assemblies. We promise there will be no monkey business as the nominations will be free and fair and we shall only give the tickets to the winners,” he said. 

But even as DP Ruto and Mr Odinga are seen as the automatic candidates of KKA and Azimio, respectively, ANC insists that Mr Mudavadi’s eyes are still set on the prize. 

Some claim the DP would consider him for a running mate, a situation that is likely to rock the coalition’s boat with protests expected from Mt Kenya region.

ANC Secretary-General Simon Gikuru says Ruto should declare ‘Musalia Tosha’ the way Mr Odinga endorsed Mr Mwai Kibaki in 2002. OKA, which has hinted at joining Azimio with its own candidate, has also caused disquiet in Mr Odinga’s camp, which feels such demands might lead to a push for nomination of the coalition’s candidate. 

Mr Odinga’s camp has more parties in its fold, including Jubilee, the Party of National Unity linked to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, Upya Movement linked to his Treasury counterpart Ukur Yatani ands the United Progressive Alliance and Democratic Action Party of Kenya associated with Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and Defence’s Eugene Wamalwa.

Others are National Alliance Rainbow Coalition of Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, Maendeleo Chap Chap of Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, Ubuntu Peoples’ Forum led by Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui, West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo’s Kenya Union Party, Mr Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance and Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana’s Muungano Party of Kenya.

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