Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka refuted claims that the Azimio la Umoja coalition was eyeing state jobs in the new administration.
Speaking at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation on Saturday, September 17, Kalonzo noted that they were preoccupied with providing oversight over the new government and ensuring that it delivers the promises made to Kenyans during the campaign period.
He added that the Azimio team would relentlessly keep the government in check.
“We are not interested in State jobs whatsoever. We have a lot of work to do as we have demonstrated, of keeping the government in check," he stated.
The Wiper party leader also questioned the Ksh3 billion that President William Ruto proposed to fund the Judiciary to boost its financial autonomy. According to Kalonzo, this tactic was a ploy to purchase friendship in the Judiciary that is meant to be an independent arm of the national government.
“The financial and operational autonomy of the Judiciary will not be guaranteed through tokenism,” he noted.
"Ruto should tame his appetite for throwing money at institutions to buy friendship. Keep off Judiciary and let Parliament do its work,” he added.
The Azimio coalition also claimed that the new government had hatched a scheme to sack the four dissenting IEBC commissioners for alleged interference with the declaration of Ruto as the country's fifth president.
They poked holes in the alleged scheme and noted that it held no basis.
The statements made by the Azimio coalition came after Ruto ruled out any possibility of appointing any opposition member to government jobs. He argued that their work would provide oversight to the new government.
"Azimio members should play their oversight role. We want an Opposition that will hold us accountable. We have nothing to hide," Ruto previously stated.
The president has in the past also ruled out a handshake between him and former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga- arguing that the government would work more effectively with the opposition team keeping the administration in check.
