Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has accused State House of interfering with Kenya’s multiparty democratic process by blocking the gazettement of what he termed as legitimate leadership changes within the AZIMIO coalition.
Speaking from the United States of America, Kalonzo claimed that State House had instructed the Government Printer to stop the publication of AZIMIO’s new leadership in the Kenya Gazette, despite the changes having followed all legal procedures.
According to Kalonzo, the coalition legally appointed Philip Kisia as Executive Director, Caroli Omondi as Secretary General, and himself as Party Leader. He said the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties formally accepted the changes, and local daily newspapers published the notices last week. The Kenya Gazette, he added, was scheduled to officially publish the changes on Friday, February 6, 2026, before what he described as last-minute interference.
“This is a direct contradiction of the commitments made during the NADCO talks, particularly on fidelity to the law on multiparty democracy,” Kalonzo said, noting that he co-chaired the bipartisan dialogue in good faith. He argued that the same administration that publicly committed to strengthening democratic institutions was now actively undermining them.
Kalonzo warned that the issue goes beyond AZIMIO, saying the move sets a dangerous precedent where the Executive can arbitrarily block the lawful operations of political parties. “When State House can stop the publication of legally constituted party leadership, it is not just AZIMIO under attack, but Kenya’s multiparty democracy,” he stated.
He further accused President William Ruto’s administration of consistently using state machinery to weaken opposition parties instead of engaging in political competition based on ideas and performance.
Kalonzo vowed that AZIMIO would pursue all available legal avenues to ensure its leadership is gazetted, insisting that democracy cannot function where rules are manipulated to silence dissent. He called on Kenyans and the international community to remain vigilant, urging that the matter be widely shared to protect Kenya’s democratic space.