KARINGA: Party squabbles and personality politics muddy political outlook

As the country inches closer to the 2027 general election, political formations across the board are embroiled in internal power struggles, raising a fundamental question: Do Kenyan political parties thrive on ideals, or are they merely vehicles for personal ambition?

ODM: Sifuna shakes the Orange tree

The Orange Democratic Movement, once a disciplined, mass-based party forged in the crucible of opposition politics, is currently battling waves of internal turmoil. Secretary-general Edwin Sifuna, emboldened by his rising influence in Nairobi and Western, increasingly is seen as rocking the boat within the Raila Odinga-led outfit.

Positioning himself as a moderniser, Sifuna has advocated for structural reforms and youth inclusion. But critics accuse him of double-dealing – one foot in activism, the other in raw political manoeuvring. Tensions escalated in May when Sifuna rejected the concept of a “broad-based government”, declaring that all government positions remain under the Kenya Kwanza administration led by President William Ruto.

“This thing called broad-based government, I don’t know where it exists. Personally, I don’t recognise any entity called broad-based. There is a government of Kenya Kwanza under the leadership of President Ruto.”

Senator Richard Onyonka defended Sifuna, saying his critique echoed public sentiment within ODM and beyond.

“What Sifuna is talking about resonates with ODM members and Kenyans. If the broad-based government can pick up from what Sifuna has been saying…”

However, ODM’s central committee, chaired by Raila, adopted a conciliatory position two weeks ago. The party pledged support for the MoU with Kenya Kwanza and announced a technical committee to advance its implementation – ironically, Sifuna was the one who read the official resolution.

“The party supports the position of the party leader to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration… ODM will constitute a technical team to work with UDA counterparts,” Sifuna announced. 

Despite toeing the party line, the Nairobi senator later reignited tensions. Speaking in Sabaoti, Trans Nzoia county, he threatened to ditch ODM if it backed President Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid.

“Raila himself has said this is a democratic party and any member is free to speak their mind. Yet some thugs are saying I cannot hold views independent of the party just because I’m secretary general,” he said.

“I’ll read any party statement – even if it insults me – but the day the party decides to support Ruto in 2027, that one I won’t read.”

Insiders speculate that Sifuna may be positioning himself for a larger national role, possibly aligning with the emerging Kenya Moja Alliance – a loose coalition including Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

DAP-K: Natembeya waters the tent from within

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, once a provincial administrator, has become both the face and the disruptor of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya. What began as a vehicle for disaffected Western politicians is now struggling to contain his growing ambitions.

Insiders say Natembeya is “peeing inside the tent” – challenging party leadership while remaining within its ranks. His open criticism of DAP-K’s leadership has ruffled feathers. And now, the party finds itself at a crossroads: either forge a new independent path or risk being politically absorbed.

On August 1, DAP-K was rocked by formal removal petitions filed against both party leader Eugene Wamalwa and Natembeya. The governor is accused of using party resources to prop up a rival outfit – County Development-Kenya – while Eugene is accused of resisting reforms aimed at expanding DAP-K’s appeal beyond its Luhya stronghold.

DAP-K secretary-general Eseli Simiyu announced that the petitions had been referred to the party’s internal disputes resolution committee.

“The petitions have been forwarded for urgent consideration,” he said. ‘No one is above party processes.”

Meanwhile, Eugene urged calm. “Chama si ya mtu binafsi (The party does not belong to one person). Let’s follow due process and be guided by reason, not ambition.”

Natembeya, who skipped the meeting, countered in a statement, “DAP-K must evolve beyond tribal politics. That’s not betrayal; it’s leadership.”

He further accused Eugene of treating the party as a personal vehicle. In response, Eugene subtly warned Natembeya and Mumias East MP Peter Salasya against orchestrating a hostile takeover.

The party’s central committee plans a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting later this month to chart its future. 

As Raila is now working with Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi, having folded ANC into UDA, Wamalwa’s DAP-K is trying to fill the leadership vacuum in Western. Whether it survives its internal tremors is another matter.

UDA: Cracks in the Hustler mansion

In the ruling United Democratic Alliance, the post-2022 unity that propelled President Ruto to power is fraying. Prominent figures such as Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale, Nyali MP Mohamed Ali and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro have launched low-key rebellions, questioning Ruto’s policies and party favouritism.

Khalwale, a founding member and Senate Majority Whip, has clashed with UDA leadership, accusing them of meddling in Western politics and favouring insiders.

He recently criticised Farouk Kibet, Ruto’s powerful aide, for supposedly interfering in the by-election in Malava, Kakamega, slated for September 9.

“Farouk Kibet has no business interfering in Malava’s affairs. His sudden interest is not about our welfare; it’s about managing discontent over unfulfilled promises,” Khalwale said.

He also slammed Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who is UDA’s deputy party leader.

 “If you’ve failed to control former DP Rigathi Gachagua in your region, don’t think you’ll come to Kakamega and decide who gets elected. I am your senior.”

He declared his bid for Kakamega governor in 2027, challenging UDA’s status quo. Meanwhile, Gachagua is said to be quietly consolidating power in Mt Kenya ahead of UDA’s grassroots elections, signalling potential realignments within the party.

Jubilee: Ghost of Uhuru’s past

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s grip on Jubilee remains tenuous. Years of factional wars and legal battles have reduced the party to a shadow of its former self.

After regaining leadership in July, Uhuru chaired a NEC meeting this week, signalling a possible attempt at revival. Deputy organising secretary Pauline Njoroge said the NEC meeting marked “a significant step in reaffirming the party’s ideals and internal unity”.

Uhuru also announced a special national delegates conference scheduled for late August at Nairobi’s Jockey Club, aimed at reviewing party policies and strategic direction. Whether Jubilee can regain relevance remains uncertain.

His hold on the party remains tenuous at best. Since his retirement, it has become a battleground for legitimacy, with rival factions pulling in different directions.

The party’s relevance in national politics is also increasingly being questioned, and recent court battles over its leadership have further damaged its public image.

While Uhuru has attempted to maintain a statesmanlike presence, his limited political engagement has left a vacuum – one that new players are scrambling to fill, often driven more by a desire to reclaim regional clout than by ideology or national policy.

Kanu and Wiper: Lost and rebranded

Kanu, the once-dominant independence party, has become largely symbolic under Gideon Moi. Observers say that barring a political miracle, it will likely fade into oblivion. Gideon has remained obscured since Ruto rode to power in 2022, with the Baringo Senate by-election posing a litmus test for him on August 17.

“If he recaptures the seat, then Moi will be a key political player ahead of the 2027 general election,” Alexander Nyamboga says. 

“The former senator has a fighting chance, not by aligning with UDA, but by going flat out with Kanu and attempting to ride on the national wave against the ruling alliance.”

Meanwhile, Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement has rebranded itself as the Wiper Democratic Front, seeking to align itself with Gen Z’s appetite for change.

Critics dismiss the move as yet another round of cosmetic rebranding in a circus of personality politics, not policy.

But Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi disagrees, affirming the significance of Wiper’s radical rebranding ahead of the 2027 polls.

“WDF is a game changer. We’re positioning the party at the frontline in the fight against impunity, corruption, bad governance, and entrenched tribalism,” Mwangangi says.

“The best way to counter the regime is by modernising our political warfare and revolutionising our armoury to match the test of time and that is what the new WDF offers.”

Despite more than a decade of constitutional reforms, Kenyan politics remains largely personality-driven. Parties rarely publish policy platforms or hold internal ideological debates. Manifestos are election season brochures, quickly forgotten. Internal democracy is chaotic, staged, or nonexistent.

Loyalty to Raila, Ruto, Kalonzo, or Uhuru still trumps any policy consistency. New parties emerge from personal falling-out and coalitions are shaped more by arithmetic than shared vision.

With just under two years to the next general election, the political chessboard is in flux. ODM must reconcile generational tensions or risk splintering. UDA faces internal divisions as the Gachagua factor looms large.

 Jubilee seeks revival, Wiper is rebranding, and DAP-K teeters on fragmentation.

 “If current trends persist, 2027 could see a realignment driven more by personal brands than party manifestos,” political analyst Prof Gitile Naituli says.