Murang'a Women Representative Sabina Chege and Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior clashed over the party's running mate interviews scheduled from May 4 to May 10.
While appearing on NTV's With All Due Respect show on Tuesday, May 3, Sabina, who is an Azimio council member defended their position to appoint an advisory panel to conduct interviews to pick former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's suitable running mate.
She refuted claims that the move was aimed at humiliating the Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka whose allies have criticised the methodology to pick Raila's deputy.
The legislator stated that Kalonzo was involved in the decision adding that the Wiper party boss also participated in the appointment of the advisory council.
"Humility is a virtue, we saw DP Ruto going for an interview and answering questions for him to be confirmed as UDA presidential candidate. I don't think you can say that was a lack of respect.
"When the decision was made, Kalonzo was there. He has a person in the panel a privilege not everybody had. He had no problem at the council. We have had Raila and Kalonzo running as a pact, they didn't win. It's important for everybody to have an open mind.
However, Mutula Jr stated that it was disrespectful to subject his party leader to interviews. The senator stated that the potential running mates should have been allowed to negotiate amongst themselves to pick a suitable candidate for Raila.
Kalonzo's ally explained that the talks among the aspirants would tame potential fallouts in the coalition.
"Let all the Azimio running mate hopefuls meet and select one of them instead of the panel interviews. If they sit somewhere and decide quietly and come and tell us who the candidate is, even the supporters are bound to that decision.
"The same way as was in KICC when Uhuru announced that Kalonzo had forfeited his bid, there was no uproar because we believed that they came to a general consensus," he explained.
The Makueni lawmaker added that the coalition's decision to make the process public was also causing instability as Deputy President William Ruto's team criticise the party over Kalonzo's treatment.
"I personally prefer a decision made quietly and resonates well. It us who are giving fodder to them( allied of DP) to capitalise on things such as the debate of Kalonzo not speaking at Kibaki's funeral."
