Editor's Review

Kibwana said democratic rights of small parties like Muungano should not be killed by Raila's Azimio camp

Trouble could be brewing inside Raila Odinga's Azimio la Umoja -One Kenya Alliance after Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana hit out at the ODM chief.

Through a statement on his Twitter page on Sunday morning, the seemingly troubled Muungano Party Leader cried foul over Raila's willingness of honoring an agreement they signed as 22 parties before entering the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

In particular, Kibwana decried the recent Zoning of regions by the Raila-led Azimio movement, saying this was going to disadvantage small parties.

The second-term governor said they joined Raila's coalition in good faith and that they will not allow themselves to be disadvantaged like other small parties who had joined both CORD and NASA coalitions in 2013 and 2017 respectively.

Kivutha warned Raila saying the democratic rights of small parties like Muungano should not be killed inside Azimio la Umoja- One Kenya Alliance

"YE Odinga, you promised the 22 emerging political parties that there would be no ZONING of regional enclaves. We joined Azimio upon your word and in good faith. In both CORD and NASA the so-called small parties faired badly. Let us not guillotine democracy" stated Kivutha.

This happened days after Kivutha, while attending the burial of former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama's daughter, revealed that they had been advised to stay aside as Ukambani Governors in the race to be picked as Raila Odinga's running mate.

Kivutha said with the entry of Kalonzo Musyoka into Azimio, they were automatically kept at bay. Already, his Machakos counterpart has threatened to leave Azimio, claiming that the details of the content they signed have been kept secret.

{Governors Alfred Mutua (Machakos and Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) during a past function. Photo: Courtesy}

Maendeleo Chap Chap party recently wrote to the Registrar of Political parties demanding to be shown details of the document they signed, wondering if it had been changed. They, however, expressed displeasure claiming that the registrar had kept them in the dark.

MCC party promised to give a way forward to their supporters on Monday, May 9, 2022.

"The registrar of political parties (ORPP) and Azimio coalition party have refused to give us a copy of the Azimio coalition agreement deposited with the ORPP we signed to form the coalition. What games are they playing?

On Monday, May 9th, 2022, the party will make a decision on the way forward bearing in mind the plans to zone our party aspirants out and the deadlines set by law," read Governor Mutua's recent tweet.