NAIROBI, Kenya, June 2 – Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has now decided to rejoin the Azimio Coalition one month after he hurriedly ditched it and decided to go it alone all the way to the ballot.
He hurriedly dropped it and decided to go it alone all the way to the ballot box a month later.
Musyoka is no stranger to this, as he is a politician who is known for shifting camps, earning him the nickname “watermelon.”
Musyoka has recently shown signs of warming up to the Azimio alliance, as the leaders have met to try to break the stalemate.
The Wiper Leader delivered the clearest hint that he was on his way back to Azimio coalition during a burial in Mwala, Machakos county.
“The decision I take is for your best interest.I will give a political statement within two days’ time. That’s why I am requesting the Kamba community to support my political move,” Musyoka said.
Despite the fallout between the two leaders over the running mate slot, Musyoka faced great pressure from delegates inside his Wiper Party to join forces with Raila Odinga, the head of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Odinga replaced Musyoka as Narc Kenya Leader Martha Karua, despite Musyoka believing he deserved the job after serving as his running mate in the 2007 and 2013 elections.
The party’s Organizing Secretary, Robert Mbui, stated that joining the Kenya Kwanza Alliance is not an option for Musyoka.
“Moving forward where Kalonzo Musyoka stand is where the next government will be. I want to assure you that we can’t work with Kenya Kwanza or Kenya Kwisha,” Mbui told a news conference after a consultative meeting in Machakos Monday.
After threatening to leave Azimio after its presidential candidate Raila Odinga chose Narc’s Martha Karua as his running mate in the August election, Kalonzo has been under strong pressure to declare his position.
He even vowed to go it alone, igniting a national debate about his values despite previously promising to support Odinga for the presidency.
Interfaith church leaders and the Ukambani professionals group released statements on Friday imploring him to reconsider and join Azimio.
“We are calling on our candidate Kalonzo Musyoka, Azimio coalition, and Raila Odinga to engage in dialogue. Let them engage in a discussion at the top and come before us with news saying there have reached an agreement,” Mbui said.
Furthermore, the Wiper Party is pleading with Azimio Coalition leader Kalonzo Musyoka to exhaust all avenues for discussion before departing and charting his own course in the August 9 elections.
The Ukambani people’s major objective, according to the Party’s Organizing Secretary, is to be a member of the new administration following the August election.
Mbui stated that if the discussions fail, they will have no choice but to back Musyoka all the way to the election.
“There is a dispute resolution mechanism under that alliance, so we are asking our party leader that we do consider the possibility of having further discussions on this coalition arrangement,” Mbui said.