Azimio, Kenya Kwanza tiff risks Ruto-Raila pact, Wetangula's ouster

The political fallout between MPs from the Azimio Coalition and the Kenya Kwanza Alliance has presented a serious headache to the recent rapprochement between President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga, spelling uncertainty for their political alliance post the African Union election.

At stake too is the fate of the so-called broad-based government, formed by incorporating five cabinet secretaries leased to President Ruto  by Raila's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) 

A threat by the Raila Odinga-led Azimio outfit to impeach National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, following his declaration of the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance as the majority in Parliament on Wednesday, now jeopardizes this broad-based government cobbled up to aid Ruto steady his ship post the anti-government protests.

The clearest indication of the fault lines within the alliance came on Wednesday when leader of the minority Junet Mohammed and the Minority chief Whip Millie Odhiambo  led a revolt against Wetang'ula.

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“We fear nobody, we owe nobody and we stay at our homes…I think they (Kenya Kwanza) are mistreating us Maybe because they think our leader is going to Addis. We shall be taking instructions from Addis Ababa even if he goes there,” said Junet.

“It is going to be messy, noisy and it is going to have casualties. From the way parliament is being handled it is getting smelly, we don’t see any broad-based action in parliament. We can already smell our first casualty,” he added.

And to further muddy the waters and frustrate House business, Junet announced that Azimio would be dewhipping its members whose names had been forwarded to the House Business Committee (HBC) following a failed attempt to verbally instruct Wetangula to expunge the names from the list.

The opposition had fronted the names of Sarah Korere (Laikipia North), Robert Mbui (Kathiani), TJ Kajwang (Ruaraka), and Adan Keynan (Eldas) to the HBC. Without a properly constituted HBC, then Parliamentary business would be paralyzed.

The standoff in Parliament signifies the latest in a series of issues straining the relationship between Ruto and Raila's plan. 

The impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, whose ripple effects are still being felt, could also prove detrimental to the unity of the broad-based government should the Gachagua-allied MPs close ranks with their Azimio counterparts to orchestrate the first ever ouster of a Speaker of the National Assembly.

Disgruntled and vengeful, the MPs have been itching to get their pay-back against Speaker Wetangula whom they accuse of not only presiding over the impeachment of Gachagua but also for the “contempt” portrayed during the process.

A source in the know revealed that plans to hold an Azimio Parliamentary Group meeting next week were afoot and it is during the meeting that the coalition would decide how to proceed in the House in light of the ruling by the Speaker.

“During the meeting, we are going to take stock of our relationship with Kenya Kwanza within Parliament and strategize on our engagement going forward. The issue of impeachment will also be deliberated…for now, however, we are focusing on Raila’s AUC election,” disclosed the source from ODM.

Deputy leader of Minority Robert Mbui confirmed the plan by the opposition to hold the House at ransom by paralyzing business until the Speaker obeys the court order.

“As a coalition, we will sit and discuss this matter (of impeachment), we will also caution that he (the speaker) treats members differently and be fair.,” stated Mbui.

“The HBC cannot be operating with only one side and if Azimio is not involved, it is not properly constituted. Parliament business is already seized so even now before we discuss the issue of whether we will throw him or not, we basically have said the speaker has no role to play until we sit down and sort out this matter,” he added.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, speaking during an Interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday, was also adamant that Azimio should pull the plug on its engagements with Kenya Kwanza as the ruling by Wetangula was unfair.

“The courts said the majority party is Azimio. It is not the work of the Speaker of the National Assembly to determine and state that Kenya Kwanza is the majority coalition but to interpret the judgment that was issued in court,” said Babu.

He added, “Therefore, the speaker has acted in contempt of court and that court decision was mentioning the speaker adversely that he was a culprit in it due to the fact that he is a speaker and a party leader. It is a complete conflict of interest…I advise the Azimio coalition to leave this broad-based government as it is now the bed-based Parliament.”

But as the rickety relationship between Raila and Ruto is thrust exposed, The Saturday Standard has established that Ruto is leading a spirited attempt to pacify the Azimio MPs and in the process save Wetangula from ouster.

On Tuesday night, a host of leaders from across the political divide including Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah and his minority counterpart Junet Mohammed were summoned to State House to contain the siege against Wetangula.

“There has been intense lobbying from high-ranking offices urging us to drop our demands as Azimio, in a bid to maintain the status quo and save Wetang’ula from impeachment,” said a source who wished to remain anonymous.