Prof. Mutua said no parties within the Azimio have made it official about leaving the coalition therefore any claims of defection at this time are null and void.
Azimio Presidential Campaign Secretariat Spokesperson Prof. Makau Mutua has pointed a finger at President-elect William Ruto for what he termed as the illegal wooing of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party members to the Kenya Kwanza camp without following due process.
Mutua, in a statement to media on Friday, said no Azimio constituent party has officially processed leaving the coalition hence any attempted defections at this time are null and void.
He hence called the suspected move by Ruto pursuing Azimio leaders as well as those elected on independent tickets to join his side, an act of impunity capable of returning Kenya to the old KANU days before multiparty democracy was introduced.
“We are shocked that DP William Ruto, who harbors dreams of leading Kenya, is already engaged in acts of impunity and disregard of the rule of law. He must suffer from gross ignorance of our laws,” stated Prof. Mutua.
“As we issue this statement, Mr. Ruto is assiduously wooing some of the leaders elected as Independents and on the Azimio Coalition to defect to his side. This is the practice that was used in the KANU era to defeat the independence of the legislature and retard the growth of multiparty democracy.”
Mutua argues that the document signed by all Azimio constituent parties to formally enter the coalition before the 2022 elections gave clear procedures to follow by those who desire to return.
He however insisted that none of them has initiated the procedures, declaring that they remain within the coalition party.
“Mr. Ruto preaches water but drinks wine. He ought to know democracy requires vibrant pluralism in which different political parties compete on issues. Attempts to cannibalize Azimio by corrupting its members will not succeed,” he wrote.
“The law that led to the formation of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya — and its Deed of Agreement — set out the ground rules and conditions under which members can exit the coalition. There are clear guidelines. Mr. Ruto should know that it is illegal for him, or others, to induce members to purport to leave Azimio. No member of Azimio has legally invoked the process of leaving the coalition. All the members who signed as original members are still members in good standing. So, any purported defections are a legal nullity.”
According to Mutua, Ruto has to await the outcome of the Azimio court petition challenging the results of the 2022 presidential election, however expressing confidence in emerging the victor.
He termed Ruto’s moves since being declared President-elect as “hypocrisy” and “disregard for the law.”
“Mr. Ruto should not be allowed to take this country back to the old days of the KANU dictatorship. He needs to stop engaging in the culture of political corruption. We know he wants to create propaganda to give the impression that he is the inevitable victor. The court will be the final arbiter on who won this election, and we are confident that we won it,” added Mutua.
“Why has Mr. Ruto panicked and resorted to illegal and corrupt conduct in violation of the law? It can only be because he has sensed defeat. We urge Kenyans to see Mr. Ruto’s hypocrisy and his disregard for the law for what it is. We ask our supporters and those elected on Azimio, or as Independents, to stand firm to vindicate our democracy.”
The remarks followed the cross-over by the Mandera Senator-elect Ali Roba to the United Democratic Movement (UDM) party on Thursday.
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President-elect Ruto also received a section of leaders who were elected on independent tickets into Kenya Kwanza, among them 10 Members of Parliament.
