The planned Jubilee-ODM union is facing headwinds after it emerged that some party officials from both sides feel uncomfortable with a number of proposals made by a technical team, among them joint party nominations.
This is happening as details have emerged on the proposed coalition agreement between the two parties that currently form the government and the Opposition to field one presidential candidate in next year’s General Election.
The two parties will also field joint candidates for all 1,450 wards and 416 parliamentary seats.
Under the proposed coalition agreement made by a technical team that comprises ODM officials John Mbadi, Edwin Sifuna, Oduor Ong’wen, and Jubilee’s Raphael Tuju, David Murathe, and Amos Kimunya, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila Odinga will be the co-chairs of the summit.
Whereas some of President Kenyatta’s allies have approved the immediate transformation of their March 9, 2018 truce into a formal coalition between their parties, Raila’s allies feel that Uhuru’s active role in the merger could have hostile effects on the ODM leader Raila Odinga’s chances in the August 2022 presidential polls.
Already, the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is fighting allegations from Deputy President William Ruto and his allies that he is a ‘State project.’
The Jubilee party members on the other side appear to be divided.
While some are calling for a total overhaul of party leadership before the ruling outfit can ink a working partnership with Raila’s Party, some are against the move to kick out the party’s secretariat, led by Nelson Dzuya (chairman), David Murathe (vice-chair) and Raphael Tuju (secretary-general).
“We must make hard decisions by calling a spade a spade. For us to bring Jubilee back on the right path, we must shake off some people,” Kieni MP Kanini Kega said as quoted by the People Daily.
Raila is later this month scheduled to join President Kenyatta to finalise talks on the ODM-Jubilee coalition ahead of his declaration.