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Uhuru plan to control Raila's Azimio machine

The president has cobbled together a parallel alliance with small parties to raise Jubilee's stakes.

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by JAMES MBAKA

News26 February 2022 - 01:58
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In Summary


  • The President's party has roped in five other parties to up its negotiation influence in Azimio.
  • The small parties are supporting Raila but have opted to negotiate through Jubilee.
Jubilee party delegates attend the NDC meeting at KICC on February 25, 2022. PHOTO/DOUGLAS OKIDDY

President Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party is pushing to raise its stakes for a power deal with ODM boss Raila Odinga in the Azimio La Umoja coalition.

This amid reports that growing suspicions over joint nominations are rocking Raila’s faction in the Azimio camp, forcing small parties to seek refuge in Jubilee. 

The ruling party has obtained the support of five other small parties to strengthen its grip on the negotiations expected to begin soon.

The parties want Uhuru to be their guarantor in the expected negotiations to avoid ODM short-changing them, if Raila wins the presidential contest. 

On Friday, Jubilee paraded  the fringe parties and signed a cooperation agreement with them to work together ahead of the August 9 general election. 

Curiously, among the outfits that signed the deal are some small parties that are supporting Raila in Central, Nyanza, Coast and Rift Valley. 

They include Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi’s Pan African Alliance party, which inked the cooperation agreement with the ruling party, bypassing Raila. 

Kingi backs Raila’s presidency but has opted to work with Uhuru’s wing in Azimio negotiations. 

Kenya Union Party (KUP) associated with West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo and the Party of National Unity led by Agriculture CS Peter Munya also signed the pact. 

Others are the United Progressive Alliance that has Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo as the party leader but linked to Interior CS Fred Matiang’i. 

Independent Alliance associated with Treasury CS Ukur Yattani also inked the pre-election working arrangement, strengthening Uhuru’s grip on the yet to be launched Azimio machine. 

Democratic Action Party associated with Defence CS Eugene Wamwala is also said to be at advanced stages to sign a deal with Jubilee.

The Political Parties Act that was approved recently provides for the establishment of a coalition political party where individual parties join as corporate entities without losing their identities. 

On Friday, Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju admitted that the party will take the lead role in fighting for the interests of the parties that have a cooperation agreement with them. 

“What we are doing today is sign a cooperation agreement with party leaders and they have appointed Jubilee Party to negotiate for them in Azimio La Umoja,” he said. 

Speaking at Kenyatta International Convention Centre after signing the deal, Tuju who was accompanied by vice chairman David Murathe said the pact will morph into a pre-election agreement. 

He added that the details of the agreement will be reviewed before general election. 

Friday’s signing of the cooperation agreement brings to seven the parties with formal working terms with Jubilee, making the ruling party the single largest member of Azimio. 

The move would hand Uhuru, the leader of Jubilee, immense influence to control and manage the Azimio coalition once it is formally unveiled on Saturday. 

The party has a cooperation agreement with Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper and Gideon Moi’s Kanu.  

Uhuru is on Saturday set to be endorsed to continue heading Jubilee as the party leader even after retirement.

This will give him political influence after the August 9 polls if Azimio wins. 

Raila is the presumptive Azimio coalition presidential candidate after Uhuru on Wednesday endorsed him as his preferred successor 

It has emerged that nomination jitters and a deliberate scheme by Uhuru’s men to enhance Jubilee’s stakes in the Azimio informed the decision by the small parties to join Jubilee. 

This came as a key meeting of Raila’s ODM party approved the use of opinion polls to settle on popular candidates, opening the window for possible direct tickets to party loyalists. 

The provision was approved by the party’s National Governing Council despite strong reservations from a section of leaders who attended the Bomas of Kenya meeting. 

The NGC ratified amendments to the party constitution, as tabled by the National Executive Council, consequently handing Chungwa House the ultimate say on nominations. 

There were, however, fears that the proposed model is open to manipulation and abuse by party stalwarts. 

There are fears that some ODM bigwigs have preferred candidates ahead of the nominations, triggering jitters.

On Friday, an aspirant protested that Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed asked him to leave the Langata parliamentary ticket to Felix Odiwour alias Jalang'o.

Although the claims could not be verified, a session of the NGC exposed the tensions in ODM.

Kisii Woman Representative Janet Ong'era warned against abuse of polls that she said may disfranchise party members. 

“We must be very specific when talking about scientific polls. Who is going to conduct them, because I can easily get someone one million shillings to make me the leading candidate?” Ong'era said. 

It took the intervention of Raila, who rose up and pleaded with officials to adopt the system describing it as cost-effective to the party. 

“This system is being used world over. We will not rely on one poll. We can have two or three and compare,” the ODM boss said. 

Junet and Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o backed the nomination model.

"The issue of the nomination is one of the biggest problems our party has suffered from," Junet said  

"If a candidate is identified scientifically, let the National Elections Board be mandated to give them a direct ticket." 

Nyong'o, the founder secretary general of the Orange party, said the party should embrace the scientific method in arriving at its flag bearers. 

"I hope after this NGC, this proposal should be pursued and implemented to protect us from these small parties which disappear immediately after the election." 

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