SG Sifuna on Kalonzo-Raila pact: ‘One Kenya only appears in the slogan, not coalition name’

Kalonzo had on Monday said that the deal signed was for the coalition to be named 'Azimio-One Kenya Alliance movement'.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the name is Azimio One Kenya Alliance,” said Kalonzo.

Sifuna, however, says that the secretary-generals signed a coalition document for Azimio La Umoja, adding that the coalition slogan is the only thing that has changed following Kalonzo’s entry into the camp.

“The name of the document that I saw, probably other people saw a different name, is Azimio La Umoja and the only place that the word One Kenya appears in that document is the slogan of the coalition,” Sifuna told Citizen TV on Tuesday’s Day Break.

“The slogan has changed from ‘Inawezekana’ to ‘Azimio-One Kenya,” he added.

According to SG Sifuna, Kalonzo’s claims could be what he wished was the case but it is not was eventually put into paper.

“It is possible that there was such an agreement but it was never put into writing.”

The only changes made to the Azimio coalition document, Sifuna added, involved expansion of the number of members in the coalition’s council from 7 to 9.

“Initially it had been stated that it shall comprise 7 members, derived from ODM (2), Jubilee (2) and 2 from the One Kenya Alliance and then the chairman,” he explained.

“An amendment was made to expand the council to 9 so that we have two more people representing the other parties that had not been represented. As an entity - the NARC, Ubuntu - they will pick two, to represent them in the council.”

Kalonzo had claimed that the entire process to unveil Odinga as the Azimio presidential flag bearer on Saturday was rushed, adding that his party refrained from signing the declaration endorsing Odinga as the Azimio presidential candidate.

“My Secretary-General didn’t sign the second document because it was an Azimio only thing. Ask many of those SG’s what they appended their signatures to, they have no clue,” said Kalonzo.

Sifuna, however, noted that Odinga’s endorsement as presidential flag bearer was already a sealed deal.

“The declaration of the presidential candidate was a bit of a superfluous exercise because the delegates had already passed that resolution that Raila Odinga be, in fact, the presidential candidate,” he stated.

In the meantime, Kalonzo is a member of the coalition council alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta as Chairman and Odinga as party leader and presidential flag bearer. 

With ODM producing the presidential flag bearer, the running mate position has been reserved for either the Jubilee Party or Wiper.

KANU Chairman Gideon Moi, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and Defense Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa are also in the 7-member council.