The cracks in Azimio deepened following Raila Odinga’s decision to offer five key ODM officials, Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, John Mbadi, Opiyo Wandayi, and Beatrice Askul, to join Ruto’s Cabinet after the President reshuffled his cabinet in response to the Gen Z protests over the contentious Finance Bill 2024. This move angered Raila’s allies, who perceived it as a betrayal of the coalition’s mission to hold the government accountable for failing to deliver on its campaign promises
The disintegration of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party has begun in earnest after Narc-Kenya formally exited on Thursday, following a fallout sparked by Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) decision to cooperate with President William Ruto under a broad-based government arrangement.
Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua, who served as Raila Odinga’s running mate in the 2022 presidential election, announced the decision after her party held a National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Ufungamano House in Nairobi.
“We entered into Azimio to liberate Kenyans from the ills bedeviling the country. When Azimio’s purpose changed through its leadership, who are the majority in the coalition, Narc-Kenya has deliberated and decided to exit. We have moved on. We are no longer in the Azimio coalition,” Karua declared.
The move has sent ripples across the coalition, with other affiliates, including Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Party and Eugene Wamalwa’s Democratic Action Party (DAP-K), signalling their intention to exit after conducting consultations.
The cracks in Azimio deepened following Raila Odinga’s decision to offer five key ODM officials, Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, John Mbadi, Opiyo Wandayi, and Beatrice Askul, to join Ruto’s Cabinet after the President reshuffled his cabinet in response to the Gen Z protests over the contentious Finance Bill 2024. This move angered Raila’s allies, who perceived it as a betrayal of the coalition’s mission to hold the government accountable for failing to deliver on its campaign promises.
Raila defended his decision, arguing it was necessary to prevent the country from descending into military rule or further chaos under now-impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. However, his former allies saw it as an abandonment of Azimio’s opposition mandate, which included addressing youth unemployment, high living costs, economic stagnation, and corruption—issues that triggered the Gen Z revolt.
Both Karua and Kalonzo have since declared their intentions to challenge Ruto in the 2027 presidential race, marking the start of a new chapter in Kenyan politics and raising questions about the future of the Azimio coalition.
