Kalonzo: No vacuum in Ukombozi Alliance after Uhuru's exit

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka. [Courtesy]

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has dismissed suggestions that former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s resignation from the leadership of the Azimio La Umoja coalition created a leadership vacuum, insisting that the political outfit remains firmly under his stewardship.

Kalonzo, who serves as the coalition’s Party Leader, said Kenyatta’s departure from the formal leadership structure did not alter the coalition’s direction, programmes or day-to-day administration. He maintained that the two political offices at the centre of the debate—Party Leader and Chair of Council—are distinct and have always carried different responsibilities.

“There is no vacuum at the helm of Ukombozi, and no change in the party’s leadership, direction or programme,” Kalonzo said.

His remarks come after Kenyatta formally resigned from his leadership position in the Azimio La Umoja Coalition in a letter dated October 5, 2026. Kenyatta linked his decision to the formal handover of Jubilee Party leadership to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

The former president, however, made clear that his resignation should not be interpreted as an abandonment of the coalition or its political ideals.

“This decision is not a departure from our shared political journey, but a necessary step in the continuous renewal of our democratic institutions,” Kenyatta said.

Kalonzo said the distinction between the two offices was important in understanding the coalition’s  current leadership structure. The Chair of Council, he explained, operates at the council level, while the Party Leader remains responsible for the political and executive affairs of the organisation.

“The Party Leader is the political and executive head of the party. He speaks for the party, runs its day-to-day affairs, represents it before the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties and other institutions, and answers to its members,” he said.

The clarification comes as the coalition settles into a new identity. In September, the political grouping rebranded itself as The Ukombozi Alliance (TUA), a name Kalonzo said was unanimously agreed upon by its constituent parties.

He has since confirmed that the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has reserved the Ukombozi Alliance name, with the coalition now completing the remaining compliance requirements.

Despite stepping aside from the formal leadership position, Kenyatta is expected to remain associated with the coalition. Kalonzo thanked the former president and his family for their service and said TUA would invite him for an official visit, where a formal handover ceremony would be held.

“We thank him, and we are grateful to his family for the sacrifices that came with that service,” Kalonzo said.

He added that Kenyatta remained a committed member of the coalition and was prepared to “support from the ranks and to offer counsel when called upon.”

In his resignation letter, Kenyatta similarly expressed confidence in the coalition’s future, describing Azimio as an effort to unite Kenya’s diverse political voices around democracy and national development.

“A coalition is not merely a temporary alliance of convenience; it is a permanent covenant of conviction,” he said.