Azimio la Umoja spokesperson Makau Mutua asserted on Monday that individuals within the coalition who do not endorse the National Dialogue Committee's report should exit the alliance. Mutua emphasized that, contrary to misconceptions, Azimio is not a forced marriage.
He added that the report is a product of the coalition's agreed democratic processes.
"Azimio isn’t a forced marriage. Please leave if you can’t support the NADCO report which is the product of the party’s agreed democratic processes," Mutua said on X.
This comes amidst the rejection of the report's recommendations by Azimio co-principals Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa.
Karua has been calling on Kenyans to reject the report, terming it a "waste of time and taxpayers' money".
Did you read this?
Azimio isn’t a forced marriage. Please leave if you can’t support the NADCO report which is the product of the party’s agreed democratic processes.
— Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) December 11, 2023
"The findings of the NADCO report confirm that the committee was formed by the unwilling, composed of the incompetent to do the unnecessary," Karua said.
Karua, who seemed to diverge from Raila Odinga's stance on the election audit, contended that Parliament, being dominated by Kenya Kwanza, would not yield tangible results. She opposed the constitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, insisting that it should be preceded by an audit of the last poll.
The NADCO report states that there will be an audit and proposes a parliamentary process where the leader of the majority and minority will appoint auditors for each side.
This, according to Karua, is a departure from "what we in Azimio had proposed which is an independent systems audit and a forensic audit".
In November, she had also said that it was wrong to pass proposals that do not impact Kenyans.
"Any purported agreement that does not immediately impact on the cost of living, electoral justice and respect for multiparty democracy is a fraud on the people and must be rejected," she said.
Former Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa stated that he declined to sign the National Dialogue Committee's report because he believes it did not adequately address the most pressing concern for Kenyans—the cost of living. Additionally, he expressed his refusal to accept any allowances resulting from his participation in the talks. Wamalwa was a representative for the Opposition side, Azimio, during the negotiations.
Azimio isn’t a forced marriage. Please leave if you can’t support the NADCO report which is the product of the party’s agreed democratic processes.
