The seniority battle between Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua in Azimio is said to be gaining momentum by the day, with Kalonzo’s allies throwing jabs at Karua who has been angling to be the Azimio flag bearer in the 2027 elections. However, her push to succeed Raila Odinga has met serious resistance from a majority of the Azimio top brass who claim that Karua does not have much political clout or a political constituency behind her, unlike Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga
A political storm is brewing in Azimio Coalition between Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua over who should be the coalition’s Presidential flag bearer in 2027, sources told The Weekly Vision.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga is under pressure to make the bold move and pronounce himself on the matter. Keen political observers may have noticed that Kalonzo Musyoka has recently become Raila’s de facto deputy. Kalonzo seems to have taken over the political stage with Martha Karua’s recent lack of participation in Azimio activities.
The seniority battle between the two is said to be gaining momentum by the day, with Kalonzo’s allies throwing jabs at Karua who has been angling to be the Azimio flag bearer in the 2027 elections. However, her push to succeed Raila Odinga has met serious resistance from a majority of the Azimio top brass who claim that Karua does not have much political clout or a political constituency behind her, unlike Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga.
Whereas Kalonzo is seen as the frontrunner, there are murmurs that Martha Karua, having been Raila Odinga’s running mate in the last Presidential elections, should automatically be the coalition’s flag bearer in the next elections. Those pushing for her claim that her candidature will attract the women’s vote as well as votes from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region.
However, this narrative has been trashed by Musyoka’s allies who claim that during the last elections, she failed to deliver even a single civic seat from her Gichugu backyard, Kirinyaga County. Karua’s main undoing is the fact that her Narc-Kenya party is as dead as a dodo, with no single MCA, MP, Senator, Women’s Representative or Governor.
Having realized that she is a lone ranger in Azimio and with no serious backing from her Narc-Kenya party, she decided on bringing on board the likes of Jeremiah Kioni, Peter Munya, Mureithi Nderitu, and Mwangi Wa Iria to be seen as having a strong political backing.
Sources, however, say Martha Karua could be working on a strong political formation with Peter Munya, Kioni, Murithi Nderitu, and Mwangi Wa Iria ahead of the 2027 elections to have a strong bargaining power in Azimio. However, a majority of Azimio leaders believe that Kalonzo Musyoka stands the best chance of succeeding Mr Odinga, considering that he has shelved his presidential ambitions in the last three general elections.
Kalonzo has also been under increased political pressure from his close allies, they are pushing to demand an early endorsement from the coalition’s leader as the Azimio flag bearer in 2027. On numerous occasions, in public rallies, Kalonzo has told supporters that he is the man to beat in 2027. He has indicated his intention to inherit Raila’s political strongholds—the Western, Nairobi, and Coastal regions—to battle it out against William Ruto.
There are also reports that some Mount Kenya leaders in UDA have sent her an olive branch pleading with her to abandon Mr Odinga and join the government with promises of being endorsed as Kirinyaga Governor in 2027 considering that the incumbent Ann Waiguru, is serving her second and final term in office. Kenya Kwanza has dangled the Kirinyaga governorship carrot in her face on several occasions where she contested in 2017 and lost to Governor Waiguru. She is said to be weighing her options and looking at available scenarios before 2027. She can either swallow her pride and abandon Mr Odinga and take up the Kirinyaga governorship through Kenya Kwanza, or she can agree to deputize Kalonzo in 2027.
