Twists and turns in Azimio-OKA ‘marriage’

It has been an extraordinary three days in the supposed pending ‘marriage’ between the Azimio la Umoja and One Kenya Alliance (OKA).

On Sunday, the groom (Azimio) was left stranded at the altar as its bride (OKA) refused to show up at the altar of the mega rally that was to endorse ODM leader Raila as their joint candidate – this after two days of pre-wedding festivities by the jubilant guests of Jubilee/ODM.

On Monday, OKA refused to sign the ‘marriage certificate’ (Coalition Registration Agreement), with Wiper Party supremo Kalonzo Musyoka saying they were waiting for ‘structured talks under the leadership of their brother, president Uhuru Kenyatta.’

Then came the biggest bombshell yesterday, what Wiper leader Kalonzo called a ‘live volcano’ as he spilled the lava contents of an agreement they signed almost five years ago (on 30/04/2017) with ODM boss Raila, as they went together to pitch battle for the presidency and deputy-presidency against the then ‘tuko pamoja’ duo of Uhuruto.

Claiming that Raila Odinga making a fifth stab at the presidency would be a ‘reneging on and violation of the articles of the agreement (they made 5 years ago)’, Kalonzo at a garden press conference yesterday – flanked by Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr and MP Dan Maanzo – further justified his personal ‘no show’ that led to the cancellation of the Sunday rally.

“Attending the Azimio (sic) would have been an acquiescence of breach of the agreement we made.”

The Wiper leader then went on to present an extraordinary political binary to ODM leader Raila.

“By honouring this agreement, he (Raila) can prove that he is a true national leader and a continental hero, or by an act of defiance, he can repudiate it (agreement) and further compound the trust deficit.”

In layman’s terms, the Wiper chief was saying that Raila’s route to continental legacy would be if he said ‘Kalonzo Tosha.’

But, surely, the Wiper leader couldn’t be so hallucinatory as to imagine Raila will drop his fifth bid for the presidency to endorse Kalonzo Musyoka, based on a document they signed as Nasa five years ago?

“The media likes to tag me as the ‘Indecisive Kingmaker’,” Kalonzo complained, “but I will show you the new Stephen is a super negotiator,” he said before scoffing that he will not put all his cards on the table for the media.

He already did!

At the press conference, he rolled up his sleeves, and all his political cards came tumbling to the ground.

Kalonzo Musyoka wants to foster the agreement he had with Raila in 2017 as binding in 2022, as per the part that says ‘this agreement will remain valid until the 2022 elections whether or not Nasa wins the 2017 presidential elections ...’ In short, he wants to play this card to obligate Mr Odinga to make him the running mate in their coalition – hence the insistence that it be called Azimio-One Kenya alliance.

Like the bride who is terrified she will lose her identity if she takes up her husband’s name after the nuptials.

There were two distinguished professors of law as witnesses to this ‘secret agreement,’ Professor Makau Mutua and Professor Kivutha Kibwana.

Prof Makau, even as he became the final repository of this document, should have advised Principal Q (Kalonzo Musyoka) that the agreement, at its preamble, is only binding on Principal H (Raila Odinga) ‘in the context of the National Super Alliance (Nasa), the grand opposition coalition.’

Nasa, as the Wiper leader never tires of reminding the public, is dead and buried.

A tenant may as well attempt to use an old expired lease from 2017 to bind a landlord when moving into new premises on March 1, 2022. The deed isn’t binding on the landlord, just by dint of him owning the new building, as he did the old one.

Article 3 stated that in the event of Nasa winning ‘after three years the president (Raila) will delegate substantial national duties to Q (DP Musyoka), and largely concentrate on international duties ...’

In other words, contrary to the 2010 Katiba, we were to have elected a president to serve a ‘nusu mkate’ term, then from August 2020, become a ceremonial president, as his deputy became the de facto president of Jamhuri ya Kenya.

By spilling it yesterday, and calling it a ‘legally binding agreement,’ Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka becomes like the boy who greedily and secretly tried to eat the huge water melon at the wedding reception; but ended up staining his white shirt blood red with its juice.