Kalonzo’s Wiper seals cooperation deal with Jubilee

Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka with Chama Cha Mashinani leader Isaac Rutto. [Dennis Kavisu]

Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party has endorsed a “cooperation agreement” with the ruling Jubilee Party and the independence Kenya National African Union (Kanu).

Yesterday, the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) gave a go-ahead to Kalonzo to enter into the political deal.

“National Executive Council of the Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya, meeting under the leadership of the party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, has today authorised Musyoka to seal a cooperation agreement with Jubilee and Kanu with immediate effect,” said the party in a statement.

The unanimous resolution was arrived at a virtual meeting that was attended by more than 50 NEC members.

Kalonzo said Wiper will continue being a member of the National Super Alliance (NASA).

“This cooperation agreement does not breach our agreements under NASA,” he said.

NASA affiliate parties are Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya of Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula.

The Wiper leader announced that a National Delegates Conference will be convened to endorse the cooperation.

This comes barely a week after Baringo Senator Gideon Moi’s Kanu entered a post-election coalition agreement with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ruling Jubilee Party.

Economic Freedom Party (EFP) is also considering a post-election coalition agreement with Jubilee.

EFP Chairman Hassan Abey yesterday told Saturday Standard that the party leadership was consulting members to endorse the deal.

EFP and Kanu were some of the political parties that backed President Kenyatta’s re-election in 2017 but did not deposit their pre-election agreement with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.

“We are currently consulting widely on the matter and it is a matter of time before we enter a political pact with the Jubilee Party,” said Abey.

“We will soon convene NEC meeting to consider the matter,” he added.

ODM leadership has indicated that they will not enter any formal agreement with the ruling party.

Reforms

ODM chairman and National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi, however, said that the party will continue “cooperating” with President Kenyatta’s administration using the political platform created by the March 9, 2018 handshake.

“We are not entering into coalition now. What we are focused on is continuing with the cooperation we have with the president through the handshake,” said Mbadi.

He said the party will use the pact to push for post-corona economic recovery, electoral reforms as well as to support government development agenda.

“We have agreed in principle to use the existing cooperation to support development agenda, unity of the country, electoral reforms and now economic recovery after the pandemic,” he added.