Uhuru to resign as Azimio chairman to focus on job given to him by Ruto

Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta is set to resign as Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance Chairman, Jubilee party vice chair David Murathe has revealed.

According to Murathe, the former head of state is above local politics and will resign to concentrate on his appointment by President William Ruto appointment his peace envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa.

“He is now above local politics. Going forward, everything is Jakom and the Azimio system. The council will sit and make a decision about who takes up the position but the overall leader of Azimio is now Jakom and there is no ambiguity about it,” Murathe told Nation.

Orange Democratic Movement party leader will then be left to steer the Azimio alliance with the retired president exiting to focus on his new role as a peace ambassador in the region.

“We will be having a meeting very soon where he will formally resign as the chairman of the Azimio council. Obviously, you cannot have two drivers steering a bus. This vehicle called Azimio now has one driver and that driver is Jakom (Mr Odinga),” Murathe added.

David Murathe Pulse Live Kenya

Reports also indicate that his planned resignation is also informed by a legal requirement that a retired president should not hold any political party position for him to draw his pension.

The Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, 2003 makes it mandatory that a retired Head of State cannot hold office in any political party for more than six months after handing over power in order to enjoy all benefits that come with being a former head of state.

This means that the retired president has until February 2023 to resign.

Blow to Raila

The move is likely to be a big blow to Odinga who is already struggling to keep his Azimio house unit in the wake of mass defections to Kenya Kwanza.

It also comes at a time when the former Prime Minister is putting his house in order to keep President William Ruto’s administration in check.

The retired president was named chairperson of the council-Azimio’s top decision-making organ with Odinga taking the party leader slot at the height of 2022 presidential elections.