NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 24 — The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Council has adopted a rationalization plan that compels constituent parties to harmonize candidates in a bid to counter increased sibling rivalries.
The decision was reached Friday when Azimio Party Leader Raila Odinga convened a meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi to discuss the Coalition’s preparation for the upcoming August 9 General Election.
“After reviewing various reports regarding the party’s ongoing campaign preparations for the general election and other matters related to the election, the Council; discussed and approved a strategy to synergize the strength brought by each party to the coalition by rationalizing and harmonizing candidates in all elective positions and mandated each constituent party to implement the strategy,” said Junet Mohamed, Azimio Party’s Secretary-General.
The move comes a day after police were forced to lob teargas at an Azimio rally in Marsabit to disperse supporters of rival candidates who clashed, disrupting Odinga’s campaign rally.
The chaos blamed on sibling rivalry were also witnessed in Moyale.
The rallies turned out to be a shouting match between the supporters of UPIA Movement leader Ukur Yatani and United Democratic Movement’s Mohamud Ali who is seeking to recapture the county’s top seat for a second term.
While highlighting other plans of action by the Azimio Coalition, Junet Mohamed said the Council appealed to all Azimio supporters and Kenyans at large to engage in peaceful campaigns characterized by respect for dissent and the views of others.
This, he said is the “only means of ensuring a stable post-election economic environment which is essential for a united, inclusive, fair and prosperous nation.”
The council further directed the National Coalition Executive Committee together with the Presidential Campaign Secretariat interrogate the published 2022 voter register data further and report their observations back to the council by June 28.
Junet further said that the council expressed satisfaction with the party’s strategy to secure 15,000,000 votes for Odinga, a self-imposed target the party hopes will propel the four-time candidate to State House.
The meeting was also attended by Odinga’s running mate Martha Karua, Wiper Party’s Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and KANU’s Gideon Moi.
Other council members present include Sabina Chege, Wafula Wamunyinyi, Naomi Shaban Charity Ngilu and Abdinoor Farah.
President Uhuru Kenyatta who is in Kigali Rwanda for a Heads of State Commonwealth meeting, and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, did not attend the meeting.
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