- He accused President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance of "buying" the UDM party and a section of Jubilee leaders.
- The leader said the opposition team did not acknowledge UDM's decamping.
Image: FILE
Azimio leader Raila Odinga has maintained that the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and Jubilee parties are still part of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.
Speaking on Friday during an Azimio meeting at Yatta Farm, Raila said the parties had signed with the outfit willingly.
He accused President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance of "buying" the UDM party and a section of Jubilee leaders.
The leader said the opposition team did not acknowledge UDM's decamping.
"UDM ilikuwa ni chama chetu cha Azimio. Bila notisi nasikia jamaa amevuka mpango ameenda ng'ambo ile. Huyo bibi anatoka bila kupeana talaka, hakuna talaka. Kwa hivo hiyo kutoka kwake sisi hatutambui. UDM bado ni hapo kwetu," he said.
This is loosely translated to: "UDM was our party in Azimio. Without notice, I heard that they had decamped to the other side. That is a wife who left without a divorce. So we do not recognise the decamping. UDM is still ours."
The ODM leader added that the only way they were going to recognise UDM as a party in Kenya Kwanza is if the outfit "returned its dowry".
Raila further accused the government of "buying out" some Jubilee members after the plan to get the whole party backfired.
He said making the decamped members the party officials was a move to incorporate the whole party into Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
The former Prime Minister said it was an insult for the government to poach parties from the opposition in such a manner.
He noted that there was a law outlining how members, especially those who were elected to a particular party could decamp.
Raila said they should go back to the ballot.
"So these elected members in Jubilee who want to join Kenya Kwanza should go back to the ballot through by-elections," Raila said.
The ODM leader further fired a warning to Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu to keep off parties business.
He said her mandate did not allow her to "intrude" into the businesses of a political party.
Raila reiterated the coalition's demand for Nderitu's resignation.