NAIROBI, March 2 – It remains unclear whether the penning down of the agreement between One Kenya Alliance will see the light of the day amid jitters of suspicion over the coalition deal with Azimio la Umoja Movement.
The OKA principals; Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (KANU), Cyrus Jirongo (UDP) and Martha Karua (Narc Kenya) were scheduled to sign the agreement within themselves Wednesday ahead of a binding one with Azimio la Umoja.
But barely 24 hours to the signing of the pact, Karua-led party has pleaded for seven more days to scrutinize the coalition agreement.
“The National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved that it needs more time to familiarize and scrutinize the Coalition Agreement and related documentation,” said Michael Orwa, Narc Kenya’s secretary-general.
Narc Kenya argues that the changes in the Political Parties Act have precipitated the sudden call for an extension of time.
“The Party’s Legal Team is instructed to seek clarity on any and existing grey areas, prepare and present a detailed brief to NEC and shall meet within the next 7 days for final approval,”Orwa stated.
The question now remains on whether KANU, Wiper and UDP will go ahead and sign the coalition deal as Karua seeks time to give a nod to the Azimio OKA pact.
OKA spokesperson Fredrick Okango has since clarified that all is well within OKA and the quest for additional time by Narc Kenya was by no means a sign of disintegration.
“Therefore, we will continue with our bold strides and consolidated efforts to offer the people of Kenya a truly inclusive government. We will carry out our programs and activities, including the signing of the requisite coalition documents as scheduled and agreed by our principals,” said Okango.
The delay in signing the grand deal between OKA and Azimio has exposed the fears of mistrust and betrayal that exist in political deals.
On February 28, OKA suspended the signing of a coalition agreement that had been scheduled to create room for new interested parties that wished to join the alliance.
It was assumed that Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s Chama cha Kazi will join the bandwagon but he has since maintained that Azimio la Umoja is not an option for him.
“They invited Chama Cha Kazi and me to join the One Kenya Alliance. Whereas we share many ideals between Chama Cha Kazi and OKA, we agreed to work together as long as OKA is not joining the Azimio Coalition which is incompatible with me and the Chama Cha Kazi Party,” Kuria said.
Musyoka’s irreducible minimum that the 2017 pre-election deal under the National Super Alliance (Nasa) be used as the basis for negotiations has complicated the matrix of the Azimio Oka deal even further.
“I am ready to work with Raila but under three pillars of a grand-coalition government for the sake of our nation. I urge that as we engage in fresh negotiations, this document (the 2017 deal) forms the basis of such negotiations. In both cases, he remains a brother with whom I have laboured in good faith, to bring true democratic change to our county,” Kalonzo said.
Musyoka’s close allies have maintained that if the NASA 2017 deal will not be the basis of negotiations then they will have no option but to go it alone.
Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr points out that even the question of whether they will join Azimio is untimely as its yet to be registered as a coalition.
“Every time that am asked are we joining Azimio I ask myself how we are joining Azimio yet ourselves we are in a coalition, the law prohibits that. The questions on whether we are joining Azimio don’t exist because they are not even registered in the first place,” said Kilonzo.
Makueni MP Dan Maanzo insisted that going it alone is a viable option should Odinga decide to denounce the 2017 NASA deal.
“We will go back to the drawing board and Kenyans will have a judgment on Odinga on whether is a man who keeps promises. As Wiper we have labored for him in the last ten years,” Maanzo stated.
“My reading of the agreement is that the negotiation will begin from there and if that fails they will be no discussion from there,” Kilonzo added.
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