KARINGA: Party squabbles and personality politics muddy political outlook
Do parties thrive on ideals, or are they merely vehicles for personal ambition?
by OTEMBA KARINGA
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Political rally /FILE
In
Kenya’s political landscape, party politics often resemble a rickety matatu
swerving wildlywithout a steering wheel –
plagued by infighting, fragile alliances and a near-total absence ofideological
consistency.
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 thecrucible
of opposition politics, is currently battling waves of internal turmoil.
Secretary-generalEdwin Sifuna, emboldened by
his rising influence in Nairobi and Western, increasingly is seen as rocking
the boat within the Raila Odinga-led outfit.
Sifuna’s
assertiveness is unsettling for some party veterans, particularly those within
Raila’sinner circle. While Raila remains the towering figure in ODM,
questions are surfacing aroundsuccession and ideological
direction.
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
withinODM 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 Kwanzaadministration…
ODM will constitute a technical team to work with UDA counterparts,” Sifunaannounced.
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’msecretary 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 byreason,
not ambition.”
Natembeya,
who skipped the meeting, countered in a statement, “DAP-K must evolve beyondtribal
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 hisretirement,
it has become a battleground for legitimacy, with rival factions pulling indifferent
directions.
The
party’s relevance in national politics is also increasingly being questioned,
andrecent 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
personalitypolitics, not policy.
But
Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi disagrees, affirming the
significance ofWiper’s radical rebranding
ahead of the 2027 polls.
“WDF
is a game changer. We’re positioning the party at the frontline in the fight
againstimpunity, 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 largelypersonality-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.
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