Win for Kalonzo as Azimio La Umoja One Kenya party name adopted

Political parties under the umbrella of the Azimio la Umoja movement have finally agreed on a name that will steer the alliance forward ahead of the August General Elections, in what is a win for Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.  

One of the demands that Musyoka made before joining the Azimio movement and endorsing Raila Odinga’s presidency was that the former premier’s outfit incorporates the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) in its official name.

Despite Odinga’s allies later claiming that the name change was never mentioned in the discussions with Musyoka, the coalition has finally settled on a new name, the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party.

The new political party was birthed following a caucus between secretary generals of Azimi-allied parties among them Jeremiah Kioni (Jubilee), Edwin Sifuna (ODM), Shakila Abdalla (Wiper) and Nick Salat (Kanu) held on Friday.

The secretary generals inked a deal guiding the name change which will be official once the Registrar of Political Parties approves the amendment.

“We want to reiterate our commitment to the unity stability and prosperity of this nation as is posed in the vision of this coalition. Moving forward we will announce our public engagement and political activities to demonstrate to Kenyans how we will change their lives once we take office,” Shakilla Abdalla said in a joint statement.

Salat on his part underscored that the changes have strengthened Odinga’s camp noting that all members will now work together to ensure that the ODM leader emerges victorious at the polls.

“We will act with one objective and we will give our team leader the necessary support to push him to the presidency of this country against that which we all know,” he said.

Kioni subsequently lauded President Uhuru Kenyatta and Odinga for laying the foundation for the formation of the new party, which they say will rock Kenya’s political landscape.

“The president has guided us by signing into the document not because of what there is for any one of us or for any one of the parties but because of what this movement stands for Kenyans. It is a movement that stands for the unity of this country,” Kioni said.  

ODM Sec Gen Sifuna likewise stated that the new party will ensure that the country’s next government will focus on addressing the plight of Kenyans.