Kalonzo: Azimio Coalition to be rebranded ahead of 2027 polls

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has signalled that the Opposition will rebrand Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition ahead of next year’s polls.

Kalonzo said he is in talks with his partners in the United Alternative Government to retain Azimio albeit with rebranding as a vehicle for a joint opposition candidate. Azimio may become Ukombozi coalition, the ex-vice president said.

He said he has since taken over from Raila Odinga as the Azimio leader while retired President Uhuru Kenyatta who chairs the Azimio council may relinquish the slot before the polls.

“We are in the process of forming a formidable coalition. I was privileged to replace my late brother, Raila Odinga, as Azimio la Umoja One Kenya party leader and the chair and as we speak, chairman of the council, is former President Uhuru Kenyatta. But I know Uhuru’s intention is to ease off,” he said.

Speaking during an interview at Citizen TV on Sunday night, Kalonzo expressed concern over delays in formalising internal Azimio coalition changes that saw Suba South MP Karoli Omondi appointed its new secretary general.

“If they had registered and gazetted the changes in Azimio, we made it clear that is not our secretary general. We have Martha Karua as the new secretary general. So, we’re looking at that, and my advice to my colleagues is we already have a vehicle. Let’s use it. Perhaps change the name, and I hear the word Ukombozi. It is time to liberate this country,” he said.

Kalonzo said like in 2002, the opposition is determined to get single presidential candidate to take on President Willim Ruto and make him a ‘one term’ President.

Although he described himself as formidable, the Wiper leader said he is willing to sacrifice his ambitions for a fourth time if that is what it takes to send Ruto home while stating that efforts are underway to persuade allies to support his bid and expressed optimism that such unity could result in victory for the coalition.

“I may have been a little ambiguous, but to avoid any ambiguity going forward, I was given on the 10th of October last year the go-ahead, the mandate to seek the high office. And prayerfully, we have accepted, and we are ready for it psychologically. And I think we have the support of the Kenyan people. Kenyan people want this change,” he said when asked to declare his intention to run for President.

On relinquishing his ambition for sake of unity, he said, “I will be the first among equals if my colleagues take that decision. Of course, we are going out of our way to try and persuade them. So that is the space we are dealing with right now. And I think a lot of Kenyans expect, I personally do, expect that my colleagues will give me that respect. If they do, William Ruto will be one term and he knows it.”

On Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s rise in the political arena, the Wiper leader said the ODM rebels are likely to chart their own political journey but converge with the United Alternative government shortly before elections since both teams agree on the ‘one term’ crusade.

“If you recall in 2002, some of us led by Raila, myself, late George Saitoti and others were in LDP while Kibaki, Wamalwa and Ngilu were in NAK but we later converged under NARC; that’s what will happen with our brothers, led by Sifuna.”