In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary…
- Peter Munya, PNU leader, criticized Raila Odinga for unilaterally deciding to engage with the Kenya Kwanza government, against the coalition’s prior agreement.
- Munya affirmed PNU’s continued commitment to Azimio la Umoja but noted that any government collaboration should follow a legally established framework.
Peter Munya, the leader of the Party of National Unity (PNU), has shed light on significant discord within the Azimio la Umoja coalition, attributing it to actions taken by its leader, Raila Odinga.
In an interview with Spice FM, Munya voiced his discomfort over Raila’s recent decision to engage in discussions with the Kenya Kwanza government, a move that contravenes previous agreements made with co-principals within the coalition.
Munya described the contentious issue as the “donation of members of ODM into the Kenya Kwanza government,” emphasizing that this decision was made without the consensus of the coalition.
He stressed that there had been unanimous agreement among the Azimio leadership that joining the government was not the best course of action.
“The key event that has made us quite uncomfortable is the one we are calling the donation of members of ODM into the Kenya Kwanza government,” Munya stated.
“There had been discussions, and we had been told by our leader in Azimio that he had been approached and there had been discussions to join the government. We had discussed and agreed that it was not right to join the government because the issues we had been pushing during demonstrations led by our leader and those led by Gen Z had not been resolved.”
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Munya elaborated on the coalition’s stance, pointing out that any collaboration with the government should be legally established, similar to the accord made with former President Mwai Kibaki. This agreement provided a clear framework and guaranteed that the coalition’s objectives would be addressed. “We reached a point where there was an agreement that if at any point it became necessary for the opposition to join the government, it had to be a government that is established by law, like the one we joined at some point with Kibaki, where there was an accord that clearly spelled out what that government was going to do,” Munya explained.
He stressed that without such a framework, joining the government would merely serve as a lifeline for the current administration, which is under considerable pressure.
“There was a consensus not to join the government,” Munya affirmed, indicating that the coalition believes in continuing its role in opposition to push for the unresolved issues and necessary changes.
Regarding PNU’s position within the Azimio la Umoja coalition, Munya clarified that the party remains committed to the coalition for now.
He mentioned that the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) had engaged in extensive discussions about their stance, ultimately deciding that staying within Azimio was the best course of action.
“PNU is still in Azimio. I had given my opinion that if things continue as they are, then we shall consider leaving.
I invited our NEC to look at whether we should stay or leave, and after a long discussion and consultation with other parties that form the coalition, we agreed that it may not be opportune to leave at this point. We are stronger together,” Munya remarked.
He noted that if PNU were to leave, it would be more strategic to do so collectively with other parties within the coalition, ensuring that they continue to have a significant impact in pushing for the desired changes from the opposition side.