![Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua at Raila's Capitol Hill offices on Wednesday. [Source/ Alfred Mutua]](/files/styles/article_style_mobile/public/images/media/Former%20Prime%20Minister%20Raila%20Odinga%20and%20Machakos%20Governor%20Alfred%20Mutua%20at%20Raila%27s%20Capitol%20Hill%20offices%20on%20Wednesday.jpg?h=9700551b&itok=WfRm8qks)
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has led Azimio partner parties in threatening to quit the newly created coalition party that is fielding Raila Odinga as its Presidential flag-bearer.
In a media briefing on Wednesday, April 6, Mutua decried alienation by the big parties, arguing that they were shelved away from key decisions made within the coalition.
The party officials issued a raft of demands to the Azimio la Umoja movement coalition, threatening to look for other political partners if their conditions are not met within the next 48 hours.
"The document needs to be renegotiated to ensure that all interests are taken care of. The agreement should not be decided by three parties In the same way that they have introduced zoning through some technical terms, we want them to be done away with. As explained we have our candidates across the country hence we cannot subject our members to such zoning programs that they are trying to bring."
"We must be listened to in order to fully join them. It must be known that time is running out but we still have options that we can invoke anytime," Mutua stated.
The parties involved in the declaration include Mutua's Maendeleo Chap Chap Party, the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) associated with Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, Muungano party led by Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, Chama Cha Uzalendo and Kenya Reforms Party.
Mutua pointed out that only a section of people from his party had been allowed to view the draft coalition agreement for a limited time.
He affirmed that such actions would not be tolerated and added that they would not sign the agreement until their demands are looked into.
"We have not been given the draft coalition agreement to go through. Only some of our people have been shown and not allowed to look at it for long and yet we are expected to sign to it.
"In the document, they are forming a leadership head of just ODM, Jubilee, Wiper...they are the ones to decide where the rest of us will fit," Mutua lamented.
DAP-K Secretary-General Eseli Simiyu shared Mutua's sentiments, adding that all parties should be involved in determining Raila's running mate.
"We expect all party's National Delegates Convention (NDCs) to give the name of Raila's running mate, not the decision to be made by a few people. The running mate has to be named by the same people who named the former Prime Minister as the flagbearer," he stated.
Kibwana, on the other hand, announced the formation of a caucus known as Mwanzo Mpya that would bargain on behalf of the parties present at the meeting. He added that the Azimio la Umoja team should add the caucus to the draft coalition agreement.
"Other people are now asking to be at the front seats of the coalition, when they had doubts about Azimio, we sacrificed to be founding members of the coalition. Some of us gave up our presidential ambitions because we believed Raila, given his history, was the candidate.
"We can't be wished away like that. Some people called us small parties but you will never know until after the elections when the results are announced. We believe that the parties in Mwanzo Mpya will make a mark in this year's election," he stated.
