Media kicked out of Azimio, Kenya Kwanza meetings

Raila Odinga (centre) at KICC for Parliamentary Group meeting. [Samson Wire, Standard]

No media coverage was on Wednesday allowed at the Kenya Kwanza inaugural caucus presided over by President-elect William Ruto, or that of Azimio Parliamentary Group steered by Raila Odinga.

Ruto was scheduled to meet all elected leaders under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance including governors, senators, MPs, Woman Reps and MCAs at his Karen residence from 9am.

His communications team, however, said Ruto would brief the media thereafter; from 12.30 pm.

While the Azimio brigade has kicked out journalists from their meeting currently ongoing at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

"We will not have any media coverage during the meeting. Phones must be on silent as the meeting is going on," the officiator said.

The attendees have also been asked to be on the lookout for any strange devices around them, to possibly avoid a situation where their agenda is leaked.

"Look around for any strange devices and alert us."

Azimio-One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga is currently meeting with the coalition's elected members.

The Parliamentary group meeting is meant to forge the way forward for the coalition, as a new government prepares to take over.

In Odinga's in-tray is also the decision on who will lead Azimio's functions both in the National Assembly and Senate, including electing speakers for both houses.

Homabay Senator-elect Moses Kajwang told Citizen TV on Wednesday that: "This meeting is for us to begin preparing the leadership of both Parliament and Senate, and forge the way forward on our parliamentary agenda."

Azimio currently has the lead in National Assembly with 162 seats while Kenya Kwanza has 159.

The Ruto-led alliance is leading in Senate with 24 seats while Azimio has 23.

Odinga on Tuesday rejected the declaration of William Ruto as president-elect by the IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati on Monday.

In his first national address since the presidential poll results were declared, Odinga said the results were declared by a minority of the commissioners, which rendered them null and void.