The Azimio la Umoja coalition was yesterday in turmoil after two affiliate parties decamped to join the Kenya Kwanza Coalition led by Deputy President William Ruto.

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua formally ditched the Raila Odinga team to join Kenya Kwanza.

A source privy to the goings-on within the Kenya Kwanza team confided that Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi who is the party leader of the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) has also signed an agreement to join Kenya Kwanza and is set to join the outfit today.

The move by Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) leader and other Azimio coalition partners who intend to jump ship may however face legal hurdles since the document is clear on when an affiliate party can exit.

Yesterday, Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu said she was not aware of the move since her office had not been notified: “My office is not aware of such a move, once we are informed we will act.”

But Azimio la Umoja executive director Raphael Tuju poured cold water on the exit of Mutua from the coalition, citing that they cannot force someone to be in a marriage they are not willing to be part of.

Tuju said that it was ridiculous, that some of the political leaders who signed the coalition government did not know what they signed for, adding that the document is deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties and a public document.

“For one to say that they cannot access the document is simply creating a storm in a tea-cup because they want to use it for benchmarking for their negotiations elsewhere. We are not going to engage ourselves in that drama. I cannot sign a document I have not looked at. So if somebody says they signed a document they had not looked at, then who is to blame?” he posed.

By Fred Odanga Azelwa