In Summary
- Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to resign as the Azimo la Umoja chairman
- The former Head of State will resign to focus on his peace project in the East African region.
- Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga will take full charge of the coalition.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to resign as the Azimo la Umoja One Kenya coalition chairman to concentrate on his peace mission within East Africa region.
Speaking in an interview with the press, Jubilee party vice chair David Murathe disclosed that the former Head of State will resign to focus on his peace project in the East African region. He added that the coalition will soon convene a meeting to announce his exit.
Additionally, Murathe affirmed that Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga will take full charge of the coalition. “We will be having a meeting very soon where he will formally resign as the chairman of the Azimio coalition. Obviously, you cannot have two drivers steering a bus. This vehicle called Azimio now has one driver and that driver is Raila Odinga “, Murathe stated.
He further noted, “He is now above local politics ,going forward, everything is Jakom and the Azimio system. The council will sit and make a decision about who takes up the position but the overall leader of Azimio is now Jakom and there is no ambiguity about it,”
Murathe further stated that Uhuru has remained inactive since Raila lost in the August polls, he cited that he had been busy with his peace assignment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, 2003 states that a retired president cannot hold office in any political party for more than six months after he or she retires from presidency.
In line with the law, Uhuru has until February 23, 2023, to resign as the Azimio chair in order to enjoy retirement benefits.
Elsewhere, Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Youth League Chairman, Solomon Kuria, resigned on Thursday, December 8, citing and alleging erosion of the coalition’s ideals.
Kuria’s resignation came a day after he skipped the crucial Kamukunji consultative meeting led by Azimio Coalition Party Leader Raila Odinga.
While addressing former President Uhuru Kenyatta, the chairman of the coalition’s council, Kuria, noted that his decision was prompted by several issues, some of which he vowed to address later.”Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party was formed as a culmination of extensive consultations amongst key stakeholders.
“At all times, the rule of law, protection of suitable ambience for investors and Kenyans, in general, to work, do business and attend to their daily chores was a guide principle agreed upon by all those involved,” Kuria asserted.
He lamented that the coalition kept him in the dark over recent calls for mass action, reneging on their agreement.
He also disagreed with ODM Party Raila Odinga over his approach to solving national issues.
The former youth leader accused Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition of backtracking on the promise to end the culture of wastage.
He claimed that Raila’s coalition resorted to extra-judicial resolutions, a complete diversion from the original plan.
“We documented the resolve to only rely on the courts in the event we lost the elections,” Kuria alleged.
He regretted that Azimio was dishonest by planning to hold demonstrations that were then scaled down to what is now being called citizen engagement rally.
“It is strange that nobody found it necessary to consult or inform me of any of these plans, much as I am the representative of the largest constituency of the membership of the Party, youth,” Kuria wondered.
Kuria further asked the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition youth to distance themselves from the demonstrations.
