NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 10 – Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has launched Azimio La Umoja Movement, an ODM-led coalition bringing together allied parties in support of his 2022 presidential bid.
The launch of the movement during a national convention on Friday when delegates mostly drawn from ODM proclaimed him as their preferred candidate.
Odinga accepted the nomination declaring his fifth stab at the presidency.
“I Raila Amollo Odinga having been faithful and committed having worked as a patriotic Kenyan accept to present myself as presidential candidate in the August 8th 2022 election,” Odinga told delegates at the convention held at Kasarani Sports Complex in Nairobi.
The declaration coincided with the 3oth anniversary of the restoration of multi-party politics by President Daniel Moi in 1991 at the same venue.
The Azimio la Umoja Movement paves way for like minded parties who support Odinga’s presidential ambition to form a coalition.
The presidential contender stated that his quest for unity was not pushed by any forces with vested interests but was aimed at bringing the nation together.
He further stated that his presidential bid will not alienate any particular ethnicity, a political statement aimed at political strongholds of his political foes including Deputy President William Ruto.
“Am not at war with any personalities but ideologies that divide us instead of uniting us,” Odinga stated.
The convention was graced by at least ten governors and over 100 lawmakers, most of them drawn from the National Assembly.
The ruling Jubilee Party which cancelled a November 30 National Delegates Convention to formalize an alliance with ODM was represented by Vice Chairperson David Murathe and Secretary General Raphael Tuju.
“I told you to prepare the way for Baba because as you know we have a problem with one person,” Murathe said in a veiled reference to Ruto. “Nobody else can bring change apart from baba,” he added.
The convention marked the culmination of Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja tours where he crisscrossed 14 counties across the country.
Odinga will square it out with Ruto. It is not clear if Odinga’s former allies in the defunct National Supper Alliance, now coalescing around the One Kenya Alliance (OKA), will present a joint candidate, join Odinga’s or Ruto’s camp, or field their respective candidatures separately.
Three of the five OKA leaders skipped Odinga’s event on Friday citing prior engagements.
Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and FORD Kenya’s Moses Wetangula both announced the unavailability on Thursday.
Mudavadi described Odinga as “a worthy competitor,” adding “I wish him well because tomorrow will clearly be his day in the sun.”
Wetangula tweeted a similar message while Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka indicated that he was on Juba for official engagements at President Uhuru Kenyatta’s special envoy to South Sudan.
Only Gideon Moi (KANU) and United Democratic Leader (UDP) Cyrus Jirongo graced the event signaling a fallout in OKA.
Moi hwoever downplayed differences in OKA, contesting a call by veteran independence party member Francis Atwoli for the party to quit OKA.
Moi said Odinga’s and OKA’s interests were mutual.
“We are allied forces, Baba’s (Raila’s) gain, in gaining ground is our gain, when we gain ground on our side its baba’s gain. The forces are one, we are allied,” Moi said.
Atwoli fired the first salvo as he urged the KANU leader to quit the alliance saying the independence party had lost faith in the alliance.
“Your late father asked us not to leave you. I want to assure you we will not leave you in OKA. You should join Raila,” said Atwoli.
Cabinet Secretaries Peter Munya (Agriculture), Eugene Wamalwa (Defence), Joe Mucheru(ICT), Keriako Tobiko (Environment), Ukur Yatani (Treasury) and Cecily Kariuki (Water) attended the event.
