Raila Ignores Uhuru Meeting as Azimio Rift Grows
A planned meeting of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, which was to be led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, was canceled on Monday after Raila Odinga’s ODM party chose to boycott the session.
The council meeting, set for 4 p.m., was disrupted when ODM held a press conference at 1 p.m. They issued a stern warning against any attempts to remove Mr. Odinga from his position as the Azimio party leader.
Former President Kenyatta, who chairs the Azimio council, was supposed to conduct the meeting in Nairobi. However, due to his unavailability, it was switched to a Zoom call.
Representatives from key coalition parties such as Wiper, Jubilee, DAP-K, Kanu, and PNU were present.
Only Narc-Kenya, led by Martha Karua and currently in the process of leaving the coalition, and ODM had not confirmed their attendance.
Just before the Zoom meeting was set to start, other coalition members were caught off guard by ODM’s press conference. ODM officials, led by chairperson Gladys Wanga, claimed ignorance of the Azimio meeting and criticized any attempts to unseat Mr. Odinga.
ODM asserted that only the Azimio council’s secretary general, Junet Mohammed, had the authority to call such meetings.
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DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, who was expected at the meeting, argued that both Mr. Odinga and Mr. Mohammed were aware of the meeting, suggesting that ODM’s absence was intentional.
Wamalwa explained to Nation that the meeting on Monday failed because ODM preempted it with their press conference, despite being invited.
“The meeting was planned for this afternoon, chaired by Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, and set to start at 4 p.m. However, ODM held their press conference with a strongly worded statement about the Azimio council,” Wamalwa said.
“As a result, the scheduled meeting was overtaken by events and will no longer take place. This leaves the parties to make their own decisions as ODM has,” he added.
During the press conference, ODM escalated tensions within the opposition coalition, issuing a warning against attempts to remove Mr. Odinga from leadership.
ODM cautioned that those plotting to remove Mr. Odinga should be prepared for serious repercussions.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka had initially proposed that Mr. Kenyatta chair the meeting due to unrest within the opposition following the appointment of five ODM members to the Cabinet.
“We anticipate a meeting led by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is also the Azimio la Umoja chairperson, to openly address the coalition’s issues,” Musyoka said.
Musyoka’s supporters have since called for a leadership reorganization within the coalition, suggesting that he replace Mr. Odinga, who is also a candidate for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC).
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ODM members who joined the Cabinet include former Deputy Party Leaders Ali Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya, former National Chairman John Mbadi, former Secretary for Political Affairs Opiyo Wandayi, and former National Elections Coordinating Committee member Beatrice Askul.
Despite the Cabinet appointments, ODM on Monday insisted they were unaware of the Azimio council meeting and warned against any attempts to displace Mr. Odinga from his leadership role.
At Chungwa House, ODM leaders, including Wanga, deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi, and Secretary for Political Affairs Rozah Buyu, cautioned against undermining the party’s role.
“We were not informed of any meeting, and our party leader Raila Amolo Odinga remains the Azimio coalition leader. Any meeting must involve ODM to be relevant,” Ms. Wanga stated.
Mr. Osotsi criticized coalition partners for trying to convene a meeting without the Secretary General’s involvement, suggesting that such a meeting would be meaningless.
Osotsi warned of severe consequences if there were attempts to remove Mr. Odinga and ODM from the coalition.
It has been reported that ODM is planning to counter efforts to “blackmail” them by seeking to remove Azimio affiliate members from key parliamentary positions.
Osotsi hinted at this plan, noting that any push to expel ODM from Azimio would be highly detrimental to those initiating such actions.
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“ODM remains a major opposition party due to our numbers in the National Assembly and Senate. I advise them to review the standing orders of both Houses,” Osotsi said.
Currently, ODM holds key positions in Parliament, including the National Assembly Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Deputy Minority Leader, while Wiper holds the Deputy Minority Leader role. In the Senate, ODM has the Minority Leader and Minority Whip positions, with Wiper as the Deputy Minority Leader.
Azimio coalition parties include ODM, Wiper, Jubilee, DAP-K, Kanu, and Narc Kenya, though Narc Kenya has begun the process of leaving the coalition, calling its continued membership “untenable.”
Mr. Musyoka and Mr. Kioni, who have been vocal about reorganizing the coalition following ODM’s Cabinet appointments, did not respond to inquiries.
On Monday, Mr. Osotsi criticized Mr. Wamalwa for calling for Mr. Musyoka’s replacement of Mr. Odinga as Azimio’s leader.
“Some of your members have declared support for ODM in the House, and we are considering placing them in committees. Our members, like football players, are only loaned to Kenya Kwanza for the Cabinet, and we have no coalition agreement with Kenya Kwanza,” Mr. Osotsi said.
ODM also rebuked their coalition partners for questioning Mr. Odinga’s commitment to holding the Kenya Kwanza government accountable.
The party responded to claims that Mr. Odinga had abandoned his opposition role and was collaborating with President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.
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“In response to a national emergency and to stabilize the nation, ODM agreed to release our members who were appointed to the Cabinet,” Ms. Wanga said.
ODM officials reaffirmed their commitment to their minority role, emphasizing their ongoing efforts to ensure accountability, transparency, and efficient service delivery.
“There is no agreement between ODM and Kenya Kwanza that makes them joint partners in government,” Ms. Wanga stated.
Mr. Musyoka’s supporters have advocated for his promotion to a top Azimio position, arguing that Mr. Odinga has neglected his opposition role.
Ms. Wanga confirmed on Monday that Mr. Odinga remains in charge of the coalition, asserting that the inclusion of some party officials in the Cabinet was a response to national needs.
“ODM agreed to release our members in response to the president’s request,” she said.
“Raila is a deserving candidate for the AUC chairmanship. We are proud of his leadership in ODM and Azimio and appreciate the support he has received from the Kenyan government and African leaders. We would be honored to support his candidacy,” Ms. Wanga said.
Ms. Buyu countered claims by Mr. Kioni that Mr. Odinga lied about discussions with Mr. Kenyatta regarding talks with President Ruto following widespread anti-government protests.
“Uhuru is a statesman who can speak with Raila whenever needed. Kioni’s claim that he never spoke to Raila raises questions about his communication abilities, as Uhuru has not denied making such contact,” said Ms. Buyu.
Raila Ignores Uhuru Meeting as Azimio Rift Grows
