The long-awaited signing of the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) coalition agreement with ODM leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio team has been pushed back to early next week.
According to OKA principals Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Martha Karua (Narc Kenya), and Gideon Moi (Kanu), the postponement is meant to pave the way for constituent parties to interrogate the agreement documents within the files and the rank of their organs.
“We were to sign our coalition agreement today but we have postponed polishing certain legal issues that have arisen. Nevertheless, we are committed to our unity and in a few days we will be letting you know the time we shall sign the agreement,” said Narc Kenya Martha Karua in a statement read on Wednesday, March 2.
Karua said the signing which was slated for Wednesday, March 2, was postponed in order to accommodate more new partners including Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi (CCM).
“We still are open to receiving other parties that we are talking to into the OKA coalition and to build a coalition with other Kenyans so that we can achieve our objective of forming the next government,” she said.
The announcement comes barely a day after the Karua-led party pleaded for seven more days to scrutinize the coalition agreement.
“The National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved that it needs more time to familiarize and scrutinize the Coalition Agreement and related documentation,” said Michael Orwa, Narc Kenya’s secretary-general.
The delay in signing the grand deal between OKA and Azimio has exposed the fears of mistrust and betrayal that exist in political deals.
On February 28, OKA suspended the signing of a coalition agreement that had been scheduled to create room for new interested parties that wished to join the alliance.
Furthermore, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s irreducible minimum that the 2017 pre-election deal under the National Super Alliance (Nasa) be used as the basis for negotiations has complicated the matrix of the Azimi- OKA deal.
“I am ready to work with Raila but under three pillars of a grand-coalition government for the sake of our nation. I urge that as we engage in fresh negotiations, this document (the 2017 deal) forms the basis of such negotiations. In both cases, he remains a brother with whom I have labored in good faith, to bring true democratic change to our county,” Kalonzo said.