Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has accused State House of blocking the official publication of leadership changes in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.

In a post on X on February 7, 2026, he stated that the interference came despite the appointments being legally processed and already reported by local newspapers.

“Philip Kisia (Executive Director), Caroli Omondi (Secretary General), and myself, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (Party Leader) were legally appointed. The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties accepted our changes. Local dailies published them last week. The Kenya Gazette was scheduled to publish on Friday, February 6, 2026. Then came the interference,” Kalonzo wrote.

The leadership changes followed a meeting of the Azimio Coalition Council and National Executive Committee on February 2, 2026, chaired by the fourth President Uhuru Kenyatta. The coalition announced Kalonzo as the new party leader, replacing the late Raila Odinga, who died in October 2025.

Suba MP Caroli Omondi took over as Secretary General from Junet Mohamed, while former Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia became Executive Director.

The Registrar of Political Parties processed and approved the updates. Newspapers reported the changes, but publication in the Kenya Gazette is the final official step under the Political Parties Act. Kalonzo claims State House intervened to stop the Government Printer from publishing the changes.

“When State House can arbitrarily stop the publication of legally constituted political party leadership, it’s not just AZIMIO under attack, it’s Kenya’s multiparty democracy itself,” he said.

Kalonzo linked the interference to a pattern of undermining opposition parties.

“Ruto has consistently undermined opposition parties and coalitions. This is yet another example of using state machinery to weaken political competition rather than competing on ideas and track record,” he added.

Kalonzo flags democracy threat

The accusation comes amid National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) talks, which Kalonzo co-chaired. One of the 10 agenda items focused on “Fidelity to the law on multiparty democracy.” Kalonzo said he joined the talks in good faith to strengthen democratic institutions, only to see the same administration break those principles.

“This directly contradicts one of the 10 Agenda items we deliberated during NADCO,” he said.

Not all coalition members accept the leadership changes. Some affiliates, including ODM, rejected the appointments as irregular. ODM wrote to the Registrar on February 5, 2026, arguing the meeting breached the coalition agreement and lacked proper consultation.

The party asked the Registrar to freeze any actions from the resolutions.

Despite the disputes, Kalonzo insists the appointments are legitimate.

“We will pursue all legal avenues to ensure our rightful leadership is gazetted,” he said. “Democracy cannot function when those in power manipulate the rules to silence dissent.”