The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has rejected recent changes to the leadership of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, terming them illegal and against the coalition’s founding agreement.
In a letter to the Registrar of Political Parties, John Cox Lorianokou, ODM asked that the changes made under the authority of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, who chairs the Azimio Council, be halted and suspended.
The party says its leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, was never consulted before the decisions were made, despite being one of the key signatories to the Azimio deed of agreement.
ODM maintains that no single individual has the authority to restructure the coalition’s leadership. Instead, such decisions must be made jointly by the leaders of the coalition’s main parties — ODM, Jubilee, and Wiper.
Other Azimio affiliates have also raised objections. In a separate letter to the Registrar, National Liberal Party (NLP) Secretary General Ishmael Omondi Koyoo accused some coalition partners of sidelining smaller parties and holding a meeting that did not follow agreed procedures.
He said the meeting was used to fill vacant positions and remove officials from both the National Executive Committee and the Azimio Council, without proper consultation.
Koyoo noted that the actions went against Azimio’s founding values of inclusivity, transparency, and accountability, and warned the Registrar against processing what he described as illegal resolutions.
The disputed changes saw Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka named the new Azimio coalition leader, Suba North MP Caroli Omondi appointed Secretary General, and Philip Kisia picked as Executive Director.
Those removed include former Secretary General Junet Mohamed and former Executive Director Raphael Tuju.
The dispute now leaves the future of the coalition’s leadership uncertain, as the Registrar considers the competing positions from within Azimio.
