Azimio la Umoja party leader Raila Odinga together with his coalition chiefs Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua accompanied Jeremiah Kioni as he made his way back to the party headquarters on Thursday afternoon after the Kanini Kega-led faction had temporarily taken over the party offices.

This was after the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal stopped the party’s resolutions which suspended Jeremiah Kioni and David Murathe from their posts as Secretary General and Vice chairman respectively.

The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties had ratified the decision by the National Executive Council and confirmed EALA MP Kanini Kega as Party Secretary General, Adan Keynan as party Vice chairman and Susan Nyamai as the national Treasurer.

 

The breakaway faction which intends to work with President Ruto’s government even went to the party headquarters to occupy the offices on Wednesday where they were accompanied by a contingent of police officers.

 

This comes as a reprieve to the faction loyal to the former president Uhuru Kenyatta. Kioni and Murathe had written to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal challenging the legality of the NEC resolutions.

 

Kioni and Murathe argue that what the Kanini Kega-led faction had was an illegal meeting that had no standing.

 

“The party’s constitution provides that only the party leader and the Secretary General can call for a National Executive Council meeting.” Jeremiah Kioni said in a statement at the party headquarters.

 

Mr Kioni was flanked by Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua and Eugine Wamalwa in a show of solidarity with the former ruling party which is now part of the Azimio coalition.