On Tuesday, April 8, the Farmers Party announced its decision to part ways with the Kenya Kwanza coalition after issuing a formal 30-day notice to withdraw from the alliance.
In a statement to the press, the party’s former leader, Irungu Nyakera, revealed the latest development, explaining that senior officials within the coalition had breached both the coalition agreement and the Kenyan Constitution.
“Today, the Farmers Party has formally declared its departure from the Kenya Kwanza coalition,” Nyakera stated.
He went on to explain, “Although we joined Kenya Kwanza in good faith on March 23, 2022, with the hope of working with like-minded political partners, we are deeply disappointed by the persistent trend of dishonesty, betrayal, and outright disregard for both our coalition pact and the Constitution of Kenya (2010) by our main coalition partner.”
Nyakera also pointed to the recent political deal between Kenya Kwanza and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which led to the formation of a broader, more inclusive government.
He cited this as a key reason for their decision to leave, arguing that the agreement was reached without consulting or involving member parties like the Farmers Party.
“This unilateral move goes against the trust and principles upon which our coalition was built. It compromises values such as inclusivity, mutual respect, and transparency,” the party stated.
The Farmers Party is currently led by former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, who is serving a jail sentence. According to the party, their withdrawal notice takes effect immediately.
However, politically speaking, the party’s exit is unlikely to shift the balance of power in Parliament, as it does not have any elected representatives in either the National Assembly or the Senate. Therefore, President William Ruto’s parliamentary control remains unaffected.
Nyakera has been in the news recently after President Ruto revoked his appointment as the Chairperson of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). In a Gazette Notice, the President replaced him with Samuel Waweru.
Many have linked this decision to Nyakera’s political stance, particularly after he openly announced he would not attend Ruto’s planned tour of the Mt Kenya region.
The former Principal Secretary explained that he would be unavailable due to academic commitments at Oxford University.
“I will not be able to attend the President’s upcoming visit to Mt Kenya as I am currently pursuing studies at Oxford University.
However, I would still like to convey my thoughts and message to the people and leaders of the Mt Kenya region,” Nyakera said in a statement on Sunday, March 30.
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