By The Weekly Vision Team
Deep political cracks emerged within the Azimio Coalition last week, barely 24 hours after the National Dialogue Committee released their eagerly awaited report after Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua dismissed the report in total, threatening to call for demonstrations against the report.
Analysts, however, say that Karua is just trying to vent out the frustrations she has been undergoing in silence within the coalition after it emerged that Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka might be picked to fly the Azimio presidential flag in the forthcoming 2027 elections if Raila Odinga decides not to contest. Karua, who was Raila Odinga’s deputy in the 2022 presidential race, feels that, by being a former running mate, she should automatically be the coalition’s flag bearer in 2027.
However, a majority of Azimio’s top brass hold the feeling that she does not have the numbers, financial muscle, or a vibrant political party to win a presidential race. Moreover, there is a feeling that Karua did not deliver any meaningful votes to Raila Odinga during last year’s presidential race against William Ruto, and even in her backyard of Kirinyaga County, she failed to deliver a single parliamentary seat. According to records, at the Kirinyaga county assembly, UDA has a total of 17 MCAs, while Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party has 2 MCAs, and Jubilee has one elected MCA. Karua’s Narc Kenya has no MCA in the assembly.
According to results announced by IEBC, in Karua’s Gichugu Constituency, William Ruto garnered 56,018 votes, while Raila Odinga got a paltry 9,175 votes. It is also imperative to note that out of the four constituencies in Kirinyaga County, namely Mwea, Gichugu, Ndia, and Kirinyaga Central Constituencies, Karua’s Gichugu gave Raila the least number of votes.
According to reliable sources, Karua is privy to a game plan to have Raila Odinga accept the report, take up the position of leader of the official opposition, and appoint Kalonzo and former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya as deputy party leaders, bypassing Karua. The choice for Mr. Oparanya, according to sources, is, by virtue of his being the chairman of the National Coalition Executive Council of the Azimio Coalition.
The rejection of the report by DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa is a result of the proposal to appoint Oparanya, who will automatically be the region’s kingpin in Azimio. Wamalwa is also cognizant of the fact that if Oparanya takes up the position of deputy opposition leader, that will put him in an advantageous position to be Kalonzo’s running mate in 2027.
It has also been whispered that Raila is comfortable with the opposition leader’s position and is ready for a ceasefire with Ruto as he plans an honourable retirement ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sources say Azimio is not bothered by Karua’s actions, including leaving Azimio, since they claim she does not have the numbers and that both Kalonzo and Raila, with the support of Uhuru Kenyatta, Azimio can still make serious political inroads in the mountain in 2027.
