The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Julius Odeke
As the politics in the neighbouring Kenya heats up, the second Deputy Primier, Musalia Mudavadi’s United Democratic Forum on Wednesday formally withdrew from the Jubilee coalition, ending a dispute that appeared likely to threaten the presidential election joint ticket of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto.
Some party officials had insisted that withdrawal amounted to dissolution of the Jubilee coalition, which therefore would not be allowed to present Mr Kenyatta of The National Alliance and Mr Ruto of the United Republican Party as president and running mate under the Jubilee banner.
The Daily Nation reported that, UDF national chairman Hassan Osman and Secretary-general Dan Ameyo walked out of a meeting called by Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u and announced that the party had formally applied to have the alliance dissolved so that the three partners could go their separate ways.
“UDF has signed off its consent for the dissolution of the coalition agreement between us, TNA and URP on December 4, 2012. As a party, we have no further obligations to that coalition agreement,” Ameyo told journalists outside the Registrar’s office.
The move was immediately rejected by TNA and URP, who maintained that the agreement that brought UDF in the Jubilee coalition was never legally binding in the first place, and therefore the latter party
could not purport to dissolve or withdraw from the coalition.
“The agreement between UDF, TNA and URP does not exist because it wasnever ratified by the parties’ highest decision-making organs. When you accept to come in as a second wife and you later decide to walk out, the marriage with the first wife does not necessarily end,” said TNA secretary general Onyango Oloo.
He maintained that TNA delegates had rejected the agreement signed by its leader, Kenyatta, his URP counterpart, Ruto and UDF’s Mudavadi.
UDF had earlier issued a statement saying it had resolved to pull out of the coalition. “UDF will this afternoon sign the relevant papers to formally terminate its coalition agreement with TNA and URP,” said the party’s communications director, Mundia Muchiri, on Wednesday.
Mohammed, a founder member of UDF said the party did not have any ill feelings and had left the alliance unconditionally. “We would like to state that any insinuations by some quarters that
UDF is preparing to lodge conditions are misleading and malicious.
We leave with no strings attached and no conditions and wish those in Jubilee Coalition well in their undertaking,” Mohammed said in the company of Laikipia West MP Ndiritu Muriithi.
