The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has stopped Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and his Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) party from exiting the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance.
According to the Tribunal, the complaint by MCC was prematurely filed, since the party did not seek internal dispute resolution mechanisms first.
The tribunal says that no evidence was presented to ascertain that actually Mutua and his MCC party asked the Registrar of Political Parties for the coalition agreement they signed with Azimio.
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Mutua has joined Kenya Kwanza
“It is difficult to find that MCC would have proceeded to execute a Coalition agreement of such magnitude without reading and understanding the same. That argument cannot be used as ground of exit. No request or effort was made towards getting a copy,” the Tribunal said.
This comes as a blow to Mutua, who has already joined Deputy President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance, and subsequently his campaign trail.
Mutua accused the Azimio leadership of sidelining him and his party in decision-making, and even denying him access to the coalition agreement deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties.
“We are not part of any decision-making processes on issues involving the coalition. We just hear these things on the media like everybody else yet we are part of the coalition. It has turned into a group of friends who meet for tea and make decisions,” Mutua said, who was also positioning himself to be Raila's running mate.
The Executive Director of the Azimio Secretariat Raphael Tuju said Dr Mutua was already in talks with the Kenya Kwanza for a while before making the announcement.
“Some of the people who said that they needed this document we know that they were negotiating with the other side and they needed it for purposes of benchmarking," Tuju said.
Mutua followed by Kingi
Hours after Mutua joined Kenya Kwanza, Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and his Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party followed suit and joined Ruto's camp.
The move was first announced by Ruto through social media, who welcomed the governor to his camp.
“Karibu Governor Amason Kingi and PAA party to the alliance of democrats, the free & the willing. Together we stand against strong arm machinations by the oppressors and political racketeers who've exploited us for long. Welcome to the grand march to new possibilities for all Kenyans,” Ruto wrote on social media.
Kingi accused Azimio of pushing for zoning and also denial of a copy of the coalition agreement.
“Legal process wasn't completed because they refused to share the agreement, the dealings in Azimio are shrouded in mysterious ways, and it became difficult to pursue PAA's agenda within Azimio,” Kingi said.
