Oka affiliate parties have convened meetings of their top organs next week to discuss forming a mega coalition with Opposition chief Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja movement.
The Star has established that Gideon Moi’s Kanu and Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party have scheduled their national executive council meetings on Wednesday.
They will be followed by Martha Karua’s Narc Kenya and Cyrus Jirongo’s UDP, which have scheduled their meetings on February 18 and 26, respectively.
“The NEC meetings are supposed to bring members up to speed (with the negotiations) and to make sure they don’t make any step before members are consulted,” Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr, Wiper’s national vice chairman, said.
The meetings come amidst revelations Oka bosses have agreed to team up with Raila’s Azimio to form a grand coalition to face Deputy President William Ruto and ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang'ula were initially principals in Oka, but suddenly ditched the outfit and teamed up with Ruto.
On Wednesday, the Star reported the closed-door meetings President Kenyatta, Raila and the Oka chiefs have held at State House where a deal was brokered.
“The discussions were thorough. He (Kalonzo) wanted to know what is in store for him. But at the end they agreed,” a source said.
On Thursday, Mutula, a close ally of Kalonzo, said the negotiations with Raila’s Azimio has been going on for a while at the level of the party leaders.
“Everything is a work in progress. There are various discussions,” Mutula, who is also the Senate Majority Whip, said.
Mutula’s assertions were buttressed by Kanu NEC member John Osogo, who said the meetings will discuss the progress of the negotiations.
NEC is a top organ of a political party. Its members include party leaders, officials and Members of Parliament elected on the party ticket.
If they ratify the positions supposedly taken by their leaders to form an alliance with Azimio, the country will be headed for a two-horse race pitting Raila against Deputy President William Ruto.
Raila has declared his presidential bid under the Azimio movement – set to be registered as a political party – and is apparently having the President’s support.
On Wednesday, the Oka bosses signed a deed of assignment, officially committing themselves to work under the alliance in preparing the ground to team up with Azimio.
“We want to meet every member of NEC. They will have their free say in one way or the other, then we will take a position,” Kalonzo said, adding the meetings were part of the wider consultations.
He added, “That assertion (of joining forces with Azimio) has been there and that is why we are saying we are open to like-minded political formations.”
In a joint statement read by Gideon, the Oka leaders said they were open to negotiations with other political formations that share in their ideology that includes zero tolerance of corruption.
“This shall involve structures and open negotiation, which must include resolution of the country’s crippling debt portfolio and discussion of exploitation of our natural resources to address the debt and create employment,” they said in the statement.
(Edited by V. Graham)