Uhuru to join Raila on tours to market Azimio coalition

President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga will start countrywide tours to popularise Azimio coalition and unveil its presidential candidate.

The pair yesterday put up a show of might that brought together One Kenya Alliance principals under the coalition. They attended Jubilee and ODM national delegates conferences in coordinated events in which the President’s party also showed signs of roaring back when it unveiled new officials. Jubilee was holding its NDC at Kenyatta International Convention Centre, while ODM’s meeting was at Kasarani in Nairobi.

Azimio movement was to be launched officially today at Kamukunji grounds, Nairobi, but was pushed because of— what sources told the Sunday Nation — the desire to accommodate the demands of One Kenya Alliance (OKA), which on Friday declared an interest.

The revelation of countrywide tours was made by Mr Odinga at Moi Sports Centre Gymnasium. The ODM event was attended by the President and other political parties that have signed up to the movement.

“We have decided that from next week, we shall start countrywide tours to promote the movement. We shall then come back to Nairobi, have an official launch and unveil our joint candidate,” Mr Odinga said when he delivered his speech to ODM’s 4,000 NDC members.

The President supported the proposal, pointing out that the desire is to have a strong movement that will unite all the Kenyan communities.

“Our desire is to create a movement that will deliver Kenyans safely across the Rubicon,” the President told the audience, which was taken through the tense moments leading to the handshake, with Baringo senator Gideon Moi offering testimony of his first, and only experience, with politics of demonstration in 2003.

The President did not endorse Mr Odinga’s presidential bid as it had been anticipated or in line with similar pronouncements he has made in the past, the latest being on Wednesday during the Sagana III meeting in Nyeri County. Urged on by the delegates, he said it would be done at a later date after joint NDC and countrywide tours.

According to the source, OKA is keen to have a formal arrangement with Azimio, which will lead to the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two sides and the President might have feared that endorsing Mr Odinga could endanger ongoing negotiations.

Instead, Mr Kenyatta welcomed OKA’s decision to work with Azimio even though it still insists that it will unveil its presidential candidate.

Day of high drama

“We want to thank them for choosing to work with us even if they have their presidential candidate,” the President said, reminding his audience that Kenyans will make the ultimate choice of who will fly the Azimio flag. “I am a Jubilee member but from now, my blood is Azimio, the ideals in my head are Azimio and my whole body is Azimio.”

It was also a day of high drama dominated in blue (Azimio) and red party colours (Jubilee) characterised by riveting confessions from Mr Odinga and President Kenyatta and capped by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s on-off appearances in both NDCs.

In the morning, President Kenyatta led the shake-up of Jubilee that saw Deputy President William Ruto kicked out and lose his position as deputy party leader. Dr Ruto’s position was instead handed over to four new official. Kitutu Chache MP Jimmy Angwenyi, Kinoti Gatobu, MP Naomi Shabaan and Peter Mositet were named deputy party leaders in charge of strategy, operations, outreach and programmes respectively.

The NDC also approved the replacement of Jubilee secretary-general Raphael Tuju, whose position was given to Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, after Mr Tuju resigned from his positions in the party and the Cabinet to concentrate on elective politics.

Mr Kioni will be deputised by Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny, a position previously held by Soy MP and Dr Ruto’s ally Caleb Kositany.

Others elevated to new positions during the NDC are Kieni MP Kanini Kega, who will now be Jubilee Party’s national director of elections, deputised by Ms Rachel Nyamai. 

The new changes were part of the rebranding of the party, which critics had termed dead, with the President telling those who had written off the party of celebrating too early.

In its rebranding strategy, the NDC also approved the new logo and slogan—a dove in place of the handshake and ‘Mbele Pamoja’ in place of ‘Tuko Pamoja’. Other proposals approved by the delegates were the adoption of the party’s new constitution, new anthem, as well as a proposal to evict rebel members.

“There are those who had written off Jubilee Party, claiming it was dead. But how does a dead party deliver on the many promises that we did? How does a dead party build an economy that is worth Sh13 trillion? Jubilee Party was working, but now is the time for politics,” Mr Kenyatta said.

While explaining reasons for his parting ways with Dr Ruto, Mr Kenyatta said the DP had sabotaged the Jubilee administration with early campaigns, despite his advice against doing so.

He said Dr Ruto’s personal ambitions and quest for the presidency became an obstacle in government and strained their relationship, arguing that the DP had been blinded by unbridled ambition at the expense of the promises Jubilee made to Kenyans.

Read: Kalonzo skips joint ODM, Jubilee event 

“Ambition must be controlled. It must not be unbridled. Uncontrolled ambition is like having an unguided missile. At the end of the day, your personal ambition cannot supersede the well-being of 50 million Kenyans,” Mr Kenyatta said.

The Head of State also said his decision to approach Mr Odinga for the handshake was to save his administration, which he said was being sabotaged by Dr Ruto’s activities.

“They have been saying that since 2018, the government has failed to work. But let me ask you: What position did I give Raila Odinga that took away the benefits that those who were in government, when you have someone with whom you shared the government in the middle but still sabotages your work?” Mr Kenyatta said.

Mr Odinga, in his speech, praised President Kenyatta, saying he had achieved a lot in his nine years in office, despite the problems he faced with his deputy, promising to continue with his legacy if elected president.

Wiper leader Musyoka said his decision to join Azimio was to bring the country together. He said their task, going forward, would be to negogiate and sign agreements before they officially start campaigns.

“When we decided to join Azimio on Friday, it was because we believe in President Kenyatta’s vision to unite the country, and now we want to ask him to speed up the process of negotiating and coming up with the best candidate for the presidency. We cannot afford to lose this election,” Mr Musyoka said. 

While Mr Musyoka was at Jubilee’s NDC, he did not show up at ODM’s conference because of what Wiper official Chirau Ali Mwakwere termed unavoidable circumstances.

Kanu chairman Gideon Moi, Charity Ngilu of Narc, Amason Kingi of Pamoja African Alliance and UDP’s Cyrus Jirongo said their intentions of joining Azimio was to ensure the next government will be one that fights for the rights of all Kenyans.

Mr Odinga relived the tense moments leading to the handshake, telling the NDC it cumulatively took 19 hours to agree to work together for the sake of the country. Reminiscing on the handshake, the President described Mr Odinga as a courageous man, whose strength of mind and spirit saw him ignore hardliners in his corner to take the bold step of entering into the handshake for the good of the country.

Giving the background, Mr Odinga said the country was tottering on the brink of collapse. “It took courage, integrity and honesty to own up,” Mr Odinga reminisced just how difficult a course it seemed at that time.

Whatever remained of Kenya, Mr Oding said, was a nation sharply divided, a nation teetering with the thoughts of separatism, a nation deeply worried about its future and a map dividing the country was already drawn.

Opposition politics

“We just sat there anger written all over our faces. We then talked at length and after another six hours of talking decided to work together,” he said

Yesterday, President Kenyatta said it had cost them friends. But he clarified that because “he (Raila) did not ask for anything in my government, I’m also not going to ask for anything [in his government].” He said against the background of an audience wildly cheering in excitement.

Senator Gideon Moi also recalled his first experience with street demos in 2003 soon after Kibaki took office.

“With Uhuru Kenyatta as the leader of opposition, we agreed to go to Uhuru Park to demonstrate, but the late Orwa Ojode, stepped in sensing that he was out of place. He reminded me that I had never tested tear gas and offered me a group of youths to act as my shield in case of trouble.”

In the company of Mr Kenyata, Dr Ruto and other Kanu MPs, the group made their way to Uhuru Park. They didn’t get far. Between Parliament and Uhuru Highway, they were confronted by police who went on to fire tear gas at them.

“Mr Kenyatta abandoned me. I never saw him. The last I saw of Ruto was on Golf Course Estate. I was lucky. The youths carried me shoulder high to Grand Regency (Laico) Hotel where I was marooned for two days.

“That how I had to know the experience of ODM and opposition politics.”

Meanwhile, Mr Tuju is now headed for Siaya to run for an elective seat. He will be making an announcement in the coming days, but the Sunday Nation has established that he is keen on running for Rarieda MP.

This is, however, subject to consultations with ‘stakeholders’ , whom, the Nation understands, refers to President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga. He could also become the next Siaya governor or senator depending on which seat they settle on.

The decision will have a direct impact on the ambitions of Mr Odinga’s elder brother Oburu Oginga, Senator James Orengo and Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo.

Mr Orengo has declared his intention to succeed Governor Amoth Rasanga and is currently the party’s favourite to fly the flag. Dr Oginga wants to take over from Orengo, while Dr Amolo is keen to defend his seat.

Additional reporting by Justus Wanga