Murathe: Mutua, Kingi’s Azimio exit inconsequential
David Murathe has criticized the move by Alfred Mutua and his Amason Kingi to ditch President Uhuru Kenyatta and Azimio candidate Raila Odinga for William Ruto.
Mutua, the outgoing Machakos governor, and Kingi – his Kilifi counterpart – walked out of Azimio on Monday and straight into Ruto’s arms.
The defecting politicians accused Azimio of neglecting them, failing to provide them with campaign funds, and crucially, failing to share a copy of the coalition agreement.
But in an interview with NTV, Murathe, a respected power broker within President Kenyatta’s circles argued Mutua and Kingi had been provided with time to read and understand the document.
“It is so ridiculous to suggest that a Senior Counsel can sign a document which he has not seen or read it. The coalition agreement document is a public document and anyone can access it at the Registrar of Political Parties,” said Murathe.
“These two are being economical with the truth. For people to come and tell you they do not know what they signed, who is to blame, it is them, I can not put a pen on a paper on something that I have not read, and if need be I need to get a legal guy and interpret to me and particularly if it is a serious document, you are committing the whole party, unless they are saying they went alone without their people, and very soon they will be disowned by their party.”
Murathe also claims Mutua and Kingi are not that popular in their political backyard.
“I don’t think the governor of Machakos has a following in Ukambani, I don’t know what he is going to add to the other camp.”
However on Tuesday, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal threw out his application seeking to withdraw from the Raila Odinga-led coalition, saying has not exhausted the internal disputes resolution mechanism.