Azimio Breakaway Looms as Jubilee, Narc-K Meet in Limuru
A coalition faction known as Azimio, spearheaded by Jubilee and Narc-Kenya, has called upon 13 political parties to gather over the weekend and strategize their course of action in the wake of their leader Raila Odinga collaborating with President William Ruto.
The ongoing developments may lead to a segment of the party formerly associated with President Uhuru Kenyatta deciding to leave the Azimio coalition if the more than 1000 delegates from the 13 parties, including Deputy Azimio party leader Martha Karua’s Narc Kenya party, choose to withdraw.
The Azimio coalition is overseen by two bodies: the Coalition Council and the National Coalition Executive Council (NCEC), with the former serving as the primary authority within the coalition.
As the NCEC chairperson, Uhuru holds a prominent position, with Karua serving as a coalition member and Deputy party leader. The departure of these key members could potentially deal a significant blow to the opposition, marking one of the most substantial setbacks since its establishment.
The Council consists of additional members such as Charity Ngilu, the former governor of Kitui and leader of Narc, as well as Sabina Chege, a Jubilee Nominated Member of Parliament. Sabina Chege has transitioned her support from Raila and Uhuru to President William Ruto.
Uhuru, Karua, and Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni hail from the Mt. Kenya region. If their respective political parties make a shift, it would result in former governors Mwangi Wa Iria (Muranga) and Peter Munya (PNU) emerging as the key leaders from Mt. Kenya within the Azimio coalition. Notably, Munya has not been actively involved in the opposition in recent times.
Kioni, speaking to The Standard in an interview, explained that the decision to convene Limuru III meetings was made following the consensus of 13 parties interested in collaborating with the Jubilee party. They collectively agreed to assess and examine the recent developments within the Azimio coalition.
“Although the Azimio coalition is intact, the Jubilee party and the other political parties reached a consensus that we shall have the meeting to discuss the economic and political way forward as Mt Kenya region,” said Kioni.
Asked whether they could discuss Raila’s bid to contest for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship Kioni said: ‘We may not dwell so much on his decision as we view it personal and a family decision but we will deliberate on how the move will affect Mt Kenya region and plan ourselves on how we shall manage ourselves for the two hours he said he will take come back home whenever there is an issue,” he said sarcastically.
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On Wednesday, during his address in Homabay, Raila emphasized that if he secures the position of AUC’s leader, he intends to remain accessible and committed to the people of Kenya.
“I am not going away. Addis Ababa is only two hours away from Nairobi. I am available, whenever I am called I will answer. I am ready to work with you people,” he said in what now Kioni said their April meeting will have them manage themselves the time Raila will not be in the country.
As per Kioni, the discussions will focus on the ongoing political shifts in the nation, addressing the matter of individuals actively seeking the presidency. The aim is also to strategize on safeguarding the Mt Kenya region, which Kioni asserted has been severely affected by the country’s economic downturn.
“We are the worst affected and the most affected economically by the taxes introduced by the Kenya Kwanza government. When we said we don’t want avocado fruits to be taxed, Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot said it is our off time to pay, which is a misconception that we don’t pay taxes,” Kioni said.
Kioni rejected the analogy presented by Azimio’s lawyer Willis Otieno, who likened the situation to a snake swallowing a frog, suggesting that everything in the frog’s stomach now belongs to the snake. Kioni disagreed with this comparison, asserting that the collaboration between Raila and the President doesn’t automatically place those under Raila under Ruto.
“There are some types of frogs called tadpoles and which are poisonous and could kill cows when swallowed, so not all frogs can be swallowed and they may pose danger to the snake,” he made the remarks that may be loosely translated to mean that despite Raila having decided to work with Ruto not all allies of Raila would follow him.
It is noteworthy that Kioni and Karua chose not to attend the gathering with Wiper leader Kalonzo at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation while Raila was in Germany. Additionally, they did not accompany their party leader to Homabay on Wednesday.
Instead, Kioni and Karua dedicated their day in Muranga to support a group of elderly individuals facing accusations of belonging to the banned Mungiki sect.
Uhuru, as per reports, has not officially endorsed Raila’s candidacy for the AUC. He has not publicly shared his opinion on the matter yet, choosing instead to take a wait-and-see stance on the issue.
There are indications that Kalonzo might establish a coalition with Eugene Wamalwa, Wa Iria, and George Wajackoha as part of preparations to follow in Raila’s footsteps within the Azimio succession plan. The choices made by Azimio leaders in the coming days will determine the fate of the coalition, which, once a dominant force in parliament, has now diminished significantly from its past influence.
Azimio Breakaway Looms as Jubilee, Narc-K Meet in Limuru