Uhuru to chair Raila's coalition party in new power structure

President Uhuru Kenyatta will chair the coalition political party through which ODM leader Raila Odinga hopes to capture the presidency in the August General Election.

In the line-up released yesterday through a notice by Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu, President Kenyatta will chair Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party’s 12 member council. The council is the party’s top decision-making organ. Raila, though the party leader, will sit in the council as an ordinary member.

The other ten council members comprise of top party leaders and the who is who in Raila and Uhuru inner political circle. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka headlines them, followed by KANU chairman Gideon Moi while governors Charity Ngilu (Kitui) and Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, DAP-Kenya leader Wafula Wamunyinyi and Abdi Noor Omar Farah come after them.

Others are members of parliament, Sabina Chege (Murang’a) and Naomi Shaban (Taveta). Raila’s key ally Junet Mohamed will also sit in as a Council Member. Below the Uhuru chaired Council is the National Coalition Executive Council (NCEC) to be chaired by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya. He will be deputized by three men, Adan Keynan, Ken Nyaundi and David Murathe.

Kitui Senator and key Kalonzo ally, Enock Wambua is the coalition’s purse man. He will be deputised by three- David Pkosing, Lucy Mworia and Mishi Mboko in guarding the coalition party funds. KANU’s Naisula Lesuuda is the coalition party’s Organising Secretary. She will be deputized by Senator Abdul Haji and MP Maoka Maore. Once again, Junet will serve NCEC as the Secretary-General, assisted by Moitalel Ole Kenta, Opiyo Wandai and Isabelle Githinji.

Others to sit in the NCEC is Caroline Karugu as chair Women League, Wiper’s Rose Museo as chair of Persons With Disabilities (PWD), Solomon Kuria as chair Youth League and Raphael Tuju as the Executive Director. Nderitu also gazetted a list of 26 political parties which will now form the coalition party, among them Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap, his Makueni counterpart Kivutha Kibwana’s Muungano and their Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance.

According to an earlier Deed of Agreement seen by The Standard, at the apex of the coalition party leadership is the Party Leader, Council Chair and the Council. Given that Raila will not chair the Council, President Kenyatta is placed at the apex of the party by virtue of his position as the Chair. The Council has six functions; governance of the party, policy direction, admission of other members, formulation of own rules and execution of coalition instruments.

But perhaps the most powerful function of the Council is function number three in the deed; the formulation of the principles for the organization of government “to ensure equity, fairness and transparency among coalition partners.”

The Council will meet once in every three months “or when necessary, as determined by the Council Chairperson.” Other organs of the coalition party National Secretariat headed by Tuju, Coalition Parliamentary Group, County Coalition Caucus, National Disciplinary Committee and Dispute Resolution Panel.

In his new role, Oparanya will essentially run the party affairs alongside other NCEC members. They will report to Kenyatta chaired Council. In the details gazette yesterday, the Coalition will simply be abbreviated Azimio, and will operate from “Azimio House”, house No. 105 off Dennis Pitt road, Nairobi.