Kalonzo’s Azimio Leadership: February Changes, Parliament Dispute and Ukombozi Rebrand
By Shiled Jerono | Updated October 9, 2026
Azimio’s February 2026 leadership reshuffle named Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as coalition party leader, but the change drew objections from some affiliates. A later dispute in Parliament concerned a separate request to appoint Suba South MP Caroli Omondi to a parliamentary-group post. By September, the coalition had announced a rebrand as The Ukombozi Alliance (TUA), while some political partners questioned the process and the new identity.
What changed in February
Azimio said a joint meeting of its Council and National Executive Committee on February 2 resolved to make Kalonzo party leader, name Caroli Omondi secretary-general and appoint Philip Kisia executive director. The coalition also said it sent documents about the changes to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP). The resolutions were challenged by some affiliates, who questioned whether the meeting followed the coalition agreement.
In an August 3 statement, the coalition continued to identify Kalonzo as its party leader and said a joint Council and NEC meeting had mandated him to engage other political formations. That is the coalition’s stated position; it does not, by itself, settle every procedural objection raised by affiliates.
What Parliament ruled on March 31
On March 31, the Speaker of the National Assembly told the House that a letter purportedly signed by Kalonzo sought to appoint Omondi as “Leader of Coalition Party Parliamentary Group.” The Speaker said the letter’s authenticity was doubtful and that the position it referred to was not recognised by the Constitution, statute law or the House’s Standing Orders, so Parliament could not process the request.
That statement addressed the parliamentary-group appointment in the letter. It should not be read as a court judgment on the separate question of who led Azimio as a coalition party.
The September rebrand and remaining questions
On September 21, Kalonzo announced that Azimio had rebranded as The Ukombozi Alliance. The Star reported that some political allies opposed joining the new alliance, while the National Liberal Party sought documentation from the coalition and ORPP about the rebrand. Those reports show that political acceptance was not universal at the time; they do not establish the outcome of any later ORPP review.
The public record therefore has several distinct parts: Azimio announced the February leadership resolutions; some affiliates challenged the process; Parliament declined to process a separate parliamentary-group appointment letter; and the coalition later announced a new name. Readers should distinguish the coalition’s announcements from objections by its partners and from formal decisions by the Registrar or a court.
