Shape up or ship out, Azimio tells MPs who met Ruto
President William Ruto with Nyanza ODM leaders at State House on February 7, 2023.
Azimio coalition has asked their errant members to shape up or ship out as the outfit resolved to pile up pressure on the Kenya Kwanza administration to deliver on its campaign pledges.
The Azimio Parliamentary Group meeting held a two-day retreat in Maanzoni Resort, Machakos where they maintained that they did not recognize Dr William Ruto as the President of Kenya.
In a statement read by National Assembly minority leader Opiyo, the MPs said their members who paid a visit to President Ruto at State House had betrayed the coalition and the people who voted for them.
They pointed out that it was not the work of the President to appropriate development to various constituencies but rather the work of MPs, through Parliament, to allocate funds to various development projects in the budget. They, therefore, rubbished the claim that the MPs had visited the President in order to seek development for their people.
On the first day of the retreat, Langata MP Felix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang'o, was ejected from the meeting by angry youth who accused him of disrespecting Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
“We are currently engaged in a just struggle for this nation. A struggle for good standards of living. Struggle for democracy and struggle to safe guard our hard-won multiparty political system that is under threat,” said Mr Wandayi.
He maintained that the opposition will not tolerate acts that amount to betrayal of the dreams and aspirations of the people of Kenya.
“There will be no two ways about this. The flirtations and habitations with the Kenya Kwanza regime under whatever pretext is totally unacceptable," he said.
The leaders observed that Kenyans were suffering under the high cost of living under the "illegitimate Kenya Kwanza regime" and resolved to lead Kenyans in resisting and reversing the trend.
“We restate the position that Azimio does not recognize Dr William Ruto as the legitimate President of Kenya,” said Mr Wandayi.
The coalition will also not take part in the reorganization of the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Resolutions
Other resolutions in the 13-point statement include taking steps to reverse increasing taxation advanced by the Kenya Kwanza administration; forcing the government to bring down the cost of goods; as well as opposing the proposed selling of state corporations and parastatals.
The leaders also asked the government to release all pending Higher Education Loans Board funds to the students.
They called for release of funds to counties as per the formula agreed on by the Council of Governors and for the release of National Government Constituency Development Funds.
Azimio coalition principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua were not in the Friday's meeting as the leaders passed the resolutions.
