There is disquiet among Azimio la Umoja affiliate parties in Mt Kenya region as Jubilee rejuvenates itself.
The push by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party to be the main player in the movement threatens to disrupt the launch of the coalition.
There are plans by parties affiliated to Azimio to have their National Delegates Congress (NDC) in Nairobi on Friday and Saturday, before a joint meeting at the Nyayo Stadium where a grand coalition will be unveiled and ODM leader Raila Odinga endorsed as presidential aspirant.
The Party of National Unity (PNU) allied to Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, the Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) led by Governor Kiraitu Murungi and Ubuntu Peoples’ Forum led by Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui have declared support for Azimio.
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The bone of contention is plans to zone regions and joint nominations, which parties argue risks disrupting the strategy to market Raila’s presidential bid in Mt Kenya region.
This is one of the strategies that the Azimio team seeks to implement in bid to prevent self-cannibalisation, and to counter Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance in the region.
A senior official of one of e affiliate parties who sought anonymity said the growing concerns have forced them to postpone their National Delegates Convention (NDC), which was supposed to take place on Thursday, until the National Executive Council (NEC) irons out the contentious issues.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua said although Maendeleo Chap Chap was in negotiations with Azimio, they would reject plans to have them hold joint nominations.
“We will field candidates for all the seats and whatever negotiations we engage in we will not allow to be swallowed or outsmarted by the coalition and if it is a must that we ditch the coalition that is what we shall do. We are a small party and we must build the party,” he said.
DEP Secretary-General Mugambi Imanyara maintained that the party would not agree to joint nominations.
“Whichever way we decide to go, we shall support our political independence. We don’t intend to kill our independence and authority on matters nominations. We have nomination rules we have read the Political Parties Act and we intend to retain that identity to conduct our own independent nominations as per our laws,” he said.
The parties claim the concern has diverted energy from marketing Azimio and Raila to self-preservation.
However, Governor Muriithi, who is also the chairperson of Azimio la Umoja campaign board, said there should be no cause of alarm.
“Nominations is nominations whether conducted jointly between candidates from different parties or within one party. No one should be fear joint nominations and we promise free fair and verifiable polls,” he said.
