A day after President William Ruto nominated the top leadership of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to Cabinet, three Azimio coalition principals met yesterday to chart its future without opposition leader Raila Odinga.
And addressing a press conference after the meeting, the three principals – Kalonzo Musyoka, Jeremiah Kioni and Eugene Wamalwa – vowed to soldier on while wishing Raila and his troops well in their new found alliance with the Kenya Kwanza government.
They also declared Kalonzo the de facto Azimio leader while wishing Raila success in his quest to become the next African Union Council chairman.
“We know that the Right Honourable Raila Odinga’s quest for the African Union Commission leadership will enter a critical stage beginning next month. We all wish him luck as he prepares to take on continental duties. We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our leader, (Odinga) who has led our coalition successfully since its formation,” the Azimio leaders said joint statement that was led by Kioni.
As Raila prepares to exit local politics, his colleagues in Azimio are fronting Musyoka to take up the mantle and guide the alliance moving to the 2027 general elections.
Destroying democracy
“As you have witnessed in the recent past, His Excellency Kalonzo Musyoka has continued to lead us while Raila has been out seeking for the leadership of the African Union. We continue to ask him to guide us as a coalition even as Raila gets to enter the critical stage of his bid for the AUC,” Kioni said.
He added: “May I also say tell Kenyans that you are looking at the alternative government. What is before you today and many others will be joining us and the ones who will be forming the government because Ruto has completely failed in any attempt that he has made.
Neither Raila nor other leaders of ODM appeared in the press conference that was held yesterday SKM Command Centre.
The leaders hit out at Ruto saying he has continued to destroy multiparty democracy after his latest move to nominate four leaders from the ODM party which is a critical constituent of the Azimio coalition.
They said that Ruto’s move was aimed to muzzle the opposition and to control the parliamentary system under which the country is being governed. “Ruto is working to silence the voices of the opposition, both inside and outside of parliament. He has continued the cannibalization of political parties. has done this to Jubilee in the past, now doing it to ODM goes against the letter and spirit of the Constitution of Kenya,” the Musyoka faction said in the statement.
Additionally, they criticized President Ruto for despising the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee report on the independence of political parties.
