Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has halted Governor Alfred Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap and Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party’s decision from ditching Azimio-One Kenya Coalition.
According to the tribunal, the complaints were prematurely filed before they invoked the dispute resolution mechanisms.
The PAA and MCC party leaders claimed that they knew nothing about the contents of the coalition agreement with Azimio la Umoja.
The tribunal questioned how MCC’s leadership could have proceeded to sign an agreement without reading and understanding the content.
The four-member bench chaired by Desma Nungo, dismissed Mutua’s claim that he was denied copies of the coalition agreement.
Azimio One Kenya lawyer, Paul Mwangi further reiterated the tribunal’s message to the parties that they cannot move out because they are bound by the agreement that they signed with Azimio.
Lawyer Mwangi said that according to the law, any activity they will carry out in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance will be a nullity because they cannot belong to two coalitions.
The move by the two parties has triggered a lot of reactions between the two coalitions, as Azimio allies claim that the reason they want copies of the agreement is to benchmark.
PAA leader Amason Kingi refuted the claims citing that Kenya Kwanza and Azimio are two different legal entities; one is a political party, the other is a coalition.
“We have been told that we were demanding to get a copy of the agreement because we wanted to use it to benchmark, to benchmark what?” said Kingi.
Article 22(1) of the agreement, as seen by the media, complicates the exit of any constituent party, with a requirement for a 90-day notice to the coalition council chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta to effect such a withdrawal.
The request by the two parties cannot be effected 6 months before the general election or within three months after the August 9th polls.
According to the agreement,the Azimio coalition can only be dissolved if the parties mutually agree to part ways.
The coalition’s term expires at the end of the term of Parliament that will be elected in August this year.