Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his allies are now demanding nothing short of the position of running-mate in the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Alliance.

Kalonzo and his allies are also demanding a meeting comprising President Uhuru Kenyatta, the coalition’s presidential candidate Raila Odinga and the Wiper leader himself to iron out differences.

Two of Kalonzo’s allies Daniel Maanzo (Makueni MP) and Enock Wambua (Kitui Senator) last evening told People Daily the two issues were their irreducible minimum demands for them to “peacefully join” the coalition.

The two legislators said their demands can only be resolved through a meeting between Uhuru, Raila and Kalonzo, as leaders of the coalition’s top decision making summit.

“Anything else is a waste of time. Only through a meeting of the three leaders will we discuss and sort out our demands. The ball is now in the court of Uhuru and Raila to convene the meeting,” Maanzo told People Daily last evening as he confirmed they had already submitted to the Registrar of Political Parties a letter protesting the registration of the coalition.

Maanzo said they had already laid on the table their demands, which they termed as “reasonable enough” and that the ball is now in Uhuru’s and Raila’s court.

“It is now upon them to decide whether we should move forward by responding to our two demands,” Maanzo said.

Wambua said Wiper party had resolved that their leader must be Raila’s running mate in the August 9 General Election.

“Apart from the DP’s position, the three main principals need to meet and champion the management of the proposed coalition political party,” Wambua observed.

Azimio Coalition Executive Director Raphael Tuju waded into the debate saying it was legitimate for Wiper Party to want their party leader to be the deputy president, just as it is legitimate for Jubilee, ODM or DAP-K to demand the same.

“There is a process that results in picking a deputy president whether it is here in Kenya or even the United States. So anything stated by any of the potential candidates is legitimate and is treated as such,” Tuju said in an interview.

Earlier, Tuju had dismissed claims of disquiet in the coalition saying that there were only “wedge issues” that would be resolved in-house.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, Tuju said the coalition is intact and that sibling rivalry and competing interests will be resolved.

“We were consulting on how we’re going to move forward and we have generally agreed that we will be guided by the very important principles of guiding a big coalition such as ours,” Tuju said in his first press briefing after he was appointed to the position.

“We have agreed on what our goal is, that our presidential candidate wins on the ninth of August,” he added.

Deal dispute

Ugenya MP and MDG party leader David Ochieng discounted the claim that Kalonzo and his allies were demanding the deputy president slot saying that they were yet to meet as principals to discuss “critical items including the deputy president position and who it will be.”

“We’ve not met as principals of OKA, to discuss those such things but I am only reading them in the media. What I know is we are meeting on Thursday to discuss how we’re going to help Raila Odinga become president because that’s the aim for the Azimio-One Kenya,” Ochieng told the press yesterday.

Fresh trouble in Azimio started after OKA leaders disputed a deal the Azimio presidential candidate struck with leaders of fringe parties which had threatened that they had “alternative options” interpreted to mean joining Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

On Monday, Wiper party was among parties under OKA that signaled objection to the registration of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition political party and the subsequent coalition agreement, citing the three contentious issues.

OKA says the number of caucuses agreed on April 1 had been three but four had been presented on April 9.

The initial “three-legged” pillars of the coalition were ODM, Jubilee and OKA but an extra one was added in the subsequent deal to quell a rebellion by leaders of small parties under the Mwanzo Mpya caucus.

“With respect to the Wiper position, which may have gotten into the public domain, those are wedge issues and we’re going to discuss in-house and after we’ve agreed, we’ll issue an appropriate statement,” said Tuju.

Tuju said the management of the coalition would be guided by consultations, cooperation, compromise and consensus within the context of mutual respect and understanding of the competing interests of members of the coalition.

He said the teething problems being experienced in the coalition were normal during coalition building and the principals led by ODM boss Raila Odinga have now been seized of the concerns raised by the OKA team.

Honest discussion

“We will resolve the matter but how it will be resolved we’ll leave the details to the team within the coalition that are going to deal with the matter and as far as I’m concerned, there’s no cause for alarm,” said the former Jubilee Secretary-General.

Tuju spoke after chairing a meeting of all Azimio-OKA secretary generals at a Nairobi hotel.

“It was the very first meeting with the secretary generals of all the parties which formed the Azimio-One Kenya Coalition. It has been an honest and open discussion,” he said.

Wiper Secretary General Shakila Abdalla said matters and questions regarding the leaked letter are legitimate and that it was being handled by the principals.

“But we have agreed from today henceforth, that this forum is the one for any party to channel any issues or any concerns,” said Abdalla.

“I want to assure everybody that we are moving together and as we move together, there are bound to be waves and turbulence and we are ready to tackle them,” she added.

Kanu Secretary Nick Salat said Azimio-OKA, like any other coalition, is prone to teething problems that, he noted, will be surmounted saying those challenges were about to be ironed out.

“We are united behind our presidential candidate Raila Odinga who we believe this team here will deliver the presidency through Azimio-One Kenya Alliance,” said Salat.

DAP-K Secretary General Eseli Simiyu said they had legitimate concerns about the coalition but will be sorted out.

“We didn’t have a forum before that we could sit and deliberate on issues of the coalition. But now thanks to the coming in of Raphael Tuju, we have now set up that kind of organ, so we’ll be able to consult more,” said Simiyu, who is the Tongaren MP.

Earlier, Maendeleo Chap Chap leader Alfred Mutua accused OKA of orchestrating politics of exclusivity.

Mutua, one of the three Ukambani governors who have fallen out with Kalonzo, said it was wrong for OKA to seek to exclude more than 20 parties that formed Azimio by pushing their own interests.

“I would urge OKA and all our partners in Azimio to become more accommodative, not only to Mwanzo Mpya as the fourth leg but to any other political outfit that wishes to join Azimio,” Mutua said.