Tribunal halts Alfred Mutua's exit from Azimio team

The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has struck out Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua led Maendeleo Chap Chap’s (MCC) application to leave Azimio la Umoja One Kenya, on grounds that it was prematurely filed.

The tribunal ruled that the party should have first invoked the internal dispute resolution mechanisms before filing the application.

The ruling has now thrown spanner in the works for Mutua who joined the Deputy President William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza Alliance on Monday.

Mutua said his decision to sever ties with Azimio was based on the fact that the coalition agreement they signed was shrouded in mystery and small parties-  including his MCC were left out in decision making.

The Machakos governor was also opposed to the zoning of political parties within Azimio in the August 9 elections; an issue that led him to file a petition at the Tribunal on Monday and sought to have the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) delist MCC as an Azimio member party.

The MCC party stated that they were not aware of the contents of the coalition agreement they signed with Azimio. They sought orders to stay the gazette notice of April 14, which listed MCC party as a member of Azimio.

Through an application by Martin Mugo Maina, the party claimed that the RPP had listed the party without procedural compliance.

“The Second Respondent unlawfully listed the Interested Party as a member party to the 1st Respondent vide its gazette notice of April 14, 2022 without the ratification of such a resolution and without the procedural compliance of the party constitution” read the application in part. The applicant further stated that MCC was included in Azimio without procedural compliance with the party constitution and without the sanction of the relevant organs and thus such a coalition is null and void.

Should the governor obey the ruling of the tribunal, he would be forced to stay in Azimio and battle to have his grievances addressed.

Moreover, according to the coalition agreement, political parties are not allowed to leave Azimio within six months after signing the agreement.

The tribunal delivered the ruling even as Dr Mutua hosted the DP at his Machakos office yesterday where they lay a series of political strategies to maximize the number of votes they could garner in the forthcoming General Election. 

“I was pleased to host William Ruto at my Machakos office. We toured the office, he met members of my Cabinet and we had an opportunity to strategise,” Mutua on social media.