NAIROBI, Kenya — The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has rejected recent leadership changes within the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, declaring them null and void for failing to comply with the coalition’s governing agreement.
In a letter to the Registrar of Political Parties, John Cox Lorianokou, ODM asked that the changes effected by Azimio Council Chairman and former President Uhuru Kenyatta be frozen and suspended, arguing that key coalition organs were bypassed.
ODM said its party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, was neither consulted nor involved in the decisions, despite being an expressly named principal under the Azimio deed of agreement.
“It is our considered position that the ODM Party Leader, an expressly named and key constituent party under the Deed of Agreement, was neither informed nor involved in the purported changes,” ODM wrote.
“Consequently, the meeting and its resolutions were ultra vires, in contravention of the express provisions of the Deed of Agreement, and are therefore null and void.”
The party argued that the authority to effect leadership changes does not rest with a single coalition leader but jointly with the leaders of Azimio’s constituent parties — ODM, Jubilee Party, and Wiper Democratic Movement.
ODM’s objection adds to growing resistance within Azimio, following a similar protest by the National Liberal Party (NLP). In a separate letter to the registrar, NLP Secretary General Ishmael Omondi Koyoo accused coalition partners of convening an irregular meeting to remove officials and fill vacancies within the coalition’s National Executive Committee and Council.
“The above actions go against the founding principles of inclusivity, transparenc,y and accountability that Azimio espouses,” Koyoo wrote, urging the registrar not to process what he termed illegal resolutions.
The disputed changes saw Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka appointed Azimio coalition leader, Suba North MP Caroli Omondi named Secretary General, and veteran administrator Philip Kisia appointed Executive Director.
Junet Mohamed and former Executive Director Raphael Tuju were removed.
