Raphael Tuju Quits Azimio Executive Director Role as Philip Kisia Takes Over

Raphael Tuju (centre) during a past address to journalists. (Photo: File/Barack Oduor)

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Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has stepped down as the Executive Director of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party in a surprise move announced on Monday.

According to reports, Tuju communicated his resignation to coalition chairperson Uhuru Kenyatta during a joint meeting of the Azimio Council and the National Executive Committee (NEC).

“May I communicate my decision to resign as the Executive Director of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party that I communicated to you and the Council this morning at the joint meeting of the Council and the NEC,” Tuju wrote in a letter addressed to Kenyatta, as quoted by The Nation.

Following his exit, Philip Kisia has been appointed as the new Executive Director and will assume Tuju’s responsibilities at the coalition secretariat.

Tuju was appointed to the position on April 6, 2022, at the height of Azimio’s preparations for the General Election. At the time, the appointment was announced by Dennis Onyango, then spokesperson for the late ODM leader Raila Odinga.

“The Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, who is the Azimio Presidential Candidate, has appointed Raphael Tuju to be the Executive Director of the Azimio Secretariat. The appointment, which Tuju has accepted, takes effect immediately,” Onyango said.

He added that Tuju would coordinate all Azimio member parties and lead the coalition’s strategic and programme teams ahead of the August 2022 polls.

Days before assuming the Azimio role, Tuju resigned as a Cabinet Secretary without a docket and stepped down as Jubilee Party Secretary-General, saying he wanted to focus on other political engagements.

“In January, I went to President Uhuru Kenyatta to ask for permission to exit his Cabinet because of my other ambitions,” Tuju said at the time, noting that he had ceased serving in Cabinet to comply with legal and political requirements.