Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has ditched ODM leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja-OK for the Kenya Kwanza coalition led by Deputy President William Ruto.
In a report by Capital FM on Monday, May 9, the second term governor said he made the decision after Azimio la Umoja-OK failed to make public the coalition agreement signed with affiliate parties in March this year.
“Yes it is true, we are joining Kenya Kwanza and I will be addressing a press conference this (Monday) morning,” Alfred Mutua said.
Mutua’s move to exit the Azimio comes just days after the county boss threatened to move to court to have a copy of the Azimio coalition agreement that was deposited with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
According to him, the move by Azimio to subject the affiliate parties to zoning would lock out the majority of Maendeleo Chap Chap aspirants from vying in this year’s General Election.
The governor further read malice in the way the Azimio had kept the agreement secret.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re in a coalition relationship whose members have to go to court to get what’s their automatic right,” the governor said.
Last week, Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party wrote to the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) seeking to exit the Azimio la Umoja- One Kenya coalition party for Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza just 20 days after joining the coalition.
“The PAA NEC in a meeting held on 25th April 2022 resolved that the ratification of the agreement signed on 5th April 2022 be and is hereby declined,” read a section of the letter from the party,
PAA had also raised similar concerns to that of MCC saying Raila’s coalition had not supplied copies of the agreement to other affiliate party members since they signed the pact.
“Despite signing the agreement 20 days ago, no copies have been supplied…consequently, the intended membership of PAA party in Azimio coalition party howsoever ceases forthwith,” the party said.