A binding clause in the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party bars affiliate parties from exiting the outfit, locking in all partners including Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka.
The details emerged just hours after the new outfit was formally registered, making it a legally recognised political machine.
The Star has established that the agreement deposited with Registrar of Political Parties does not provide for a power sharing pact, leaving opposition chief Raila Odinga with wide options.
Some disgruntled affiliates had protested and insisted on a watertight power deal that includes the process of nominating the presidential running mate ahead of the August General Election.
It has now emerged that the 23 parties constituting the outfit don't have the luxury of leaving the coalition in case of any disagreements until three months after the August polls.
The radical provision in the coalition agreement deposited with the registrar also binds the partner parties together without an option of bolting out six months before the polls.
This is a big blow to parties that may want liberty to exit the marriage.
It means the affiliate parties must stick together even in case of a presidential runoff.
Kalonzo and the Oka brigade have remained jittery in Azimio and early this week threatened to decamp from the outfit.
On Wednesday, Edwin Sifuna, the secretary general of Raila's ODM party, confirmed that the Azimio One Kenya Coalition party affiliates have no option to exit at will.
“The exit clause states that you can only exit the coalition three months after the elections and not six months before the election,” said Sifuna, a key signatory to the Azimio pact.
He went on, “That basically means no member party can leave now.”
The agreement has been fashioned in such a manner that political parties which have committed to the Azimio course have mutual respect for one another.
It has also been crafted to address trust issues that killed the Nasa coalition that fronted Raila's 2017 presidential candidature.
Sifuna said the coalition agreement gave the thorny issue of Raila's running mate a wide berth, handing the Azimio presidential candidate latitude to pick whomever he wants.
According to experts who drafted the agreement, there was a feeling that prescribing a mode of nominating a running mate could easily trigger rebellion.
Raila is already facing tough options on picking a running mate.
There are those who want him to get his deputy from Mt Kenya region—the single largest vote bloc—while Wiper insiders insist on Kalonzo.
But Kanu secretary of political affairs Fredrick Okang'o told the Star that the issues will be ironed out before the end of Easter.
“There was an agreement that the issue of running mate be left to be handled by the principals that is President Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Gideon Moi,” Okang'o said.
Okang'o said the train had left the station with a "four-legged stool after a concession was made to accommodate other parties that signed the agreement.”
The details come in the backdrop of a ferocious political storm triggered by claims that the final deal document that was deposited with the ORPP was tinkered with at the last minute.
Initially, a collection of small parties, which felt left out by the big boys, complained that their recognition and stakes were at stake without a proper structure.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, the face of the caucus, protested against the three-legged stool that had Jubilee, ODM and the One Kenya Alliance, saying the outlook locked out fringe parties.
On Wednesday, Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu published the list of the 23 political parties which make up Azimio, technically closing the window for any review.
“The next stage will be to gazette the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition political party soon,” Nderitu told the Star.
The party's abbreviation will be Azimio while the slogan will be, 'Azimio: Inawezekana'.
“The symbol shall be a star against a blue background in the midst of the words Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party,” read the notice published in the local papers yesterday.
The party colours will be blue, orange, and white.
The Star established that the Gazette Notice confirming the formal registration of the coalition could be done before Monday.
Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, who was initially associated with the Party of National Unity, last month announced that he will be seeking to defend his seat on the Jubilee Party ticket.
The other parties listed include Jubilee, ODM, Wiper, Kanu, Narc, Narc Kenya, Muungano, DAP-K, Kiraitu Murungi's Devolution Empowerment party, Maendeleo Chap Chap, UPIA, UDM, UPA, PAA, KUP, UDP, MDG, KRP, CCU, PPD, NLP, PTP and UDF.
Kalonzo's Wiper had sparked off a stand in the coalition after Oka on Monday wrote a protest letter to the ORPP raising concerns over the exclusion of the selection of the presidential candidate's running mate.
The secretaries general of Wiper and United Democratic Party Shakila Abdalla and Bernard Wafukho wanted the coalition registration suspended.
The Oka parties had singled out the expansion of the coalition party’s caucuses from three to four and increment of the coalition council’s membership from seven to 11 as contested issues.
It now emerged that Oka's concerns may have been overlooked given that the coalition documents submitted to the ORPP did not capture some of their reservations.
Wiper had wanted that Kalonzo be listed as Raila's automatic deputy after shelving his ambitions to back the former prime minister for a third time in a row.
Wiper has been insisting that the issue of Raila's running mate was concluded long time ago before Kalonzo joined Azimio. The party wants Kalonzo named Raila's deputy.
Kanu, one of the constituent parties in Azimio, had also raised objections.
But Okang'o said the parties had agreed to proceed on the basis of mutual consultations.
“What we are encouraging is constant consultations,” he said.
Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, who had also expressed some reservations earlier, asked Kalonzo to embrace inclusivity in the Azimio-Oka coalition.
Kibwana on Tuesday said all parties that support Raila should campaign for him.
"Kalonzo should embrace inclusivity, not a three-legged philosophy... Winning elections is about numbers. Let all political parties that genuinely support Raila be welcome in the coalition and campaign for Azimio," he said.
Edited by Henry Makori
