Kalonzo cries foul: Did State House block Azimio leadership gazettement?

avdeltanews@gmail.com

Azimio la Umoja party leader, Mr Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, has vowed to pursue all legal avenues over claims that State House instructed the Government Printer to block the publication of the coalition’s leadership changes in the Kenya Gazette.

Mr Kalonzo said the leadership changes were legally made and accepted by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.

“The facts are simple: Philip Kisia (Executive Director), Caroli Omondi (Secretary General), and myself, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (Party Leader) were legally appointed,” he said.

Local newspapers had published the changes, and the gazettement was scheduled for Friday, February 6, 2026, before it was allegedly blocked.

He argued that the interference contradicts commitments made during the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) talks, especially on “Fidelity to the law on multiparty democracy,” which he co‑chaired.

“When State House can arbitrarily stop the publication of legally constituted political party leadership, it’s not just Azimio under attack, it’s Kenya’s multiparty democracy itself,” Mr Kalonzo claimed.

By the time of publishing this story, there was no government response to the claims.

However, in a letter dated Thursday, February 5, 2026, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) formally rejected the Azimio leadership changes.

The Azimio coalition partner, now aligned to Kenya Kwanza, argued that the meeting that approved the new leadership was outside the coalition’s legal framework.

ODM’s Executive Director, Oduor Ong’wen, said the changes were ultra vires, noting that ODM’s party leader was not consulted as required under the coalition’s Deed of Agreement.

The party asked the Registrar of Political Parties to suspend and freeze any actions arising from the disputed meeting until compliance with coalition rules is ensured.