- The opposition leader has hinted at scourting for new allies ahead of the 2027 polls.
- His meeting with Wanjigi at a time when there is turmoil in Azimio lifted the lid on fresh coalition plans.
Image: HANDOUT
Azimio boss Raila Odinga could copple up a new political machine that will face President William Ruto in 2027, his confidant has revealed.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi also revealed that they will support Raila if he declares interest in running for president again.
Signals that Raila is quietly crafting a fresh alliance came to the fore on Tuesday when he held talks with Safina Party 2022 presidential aspirant Jimmy Wanjigi.
The duo did not address journalists who had camped at the Norfolk Hotel, but contacted later, Wanjigi said they discussed matters of national importance.
“We discussed several issues but more importantly matters of national interest with the Azimio leader in our meeting that went very well,” Wanjigi said.
There are fears that the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya alliance may not survive until the 2027 polls following internal feuds linked to competing ambitions.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his Narc Kenya counterpart Martha Karua have clashed over the establishment of Kamwene, a political forum linked to opposition politicians from Mt Kenya.
The two are considered some of the key principals in Azimio and their differences could point to a possible conflict likely to ruin the coalition's prospects.
Wandayi, a close ally of Raila, revealed that major realignments are expected in the coalition that might usher in new allies and partners to form a new broad-based coalition.
This means that while some partners might drop along the way, the coalition could also bring on board fresh faces to build another fresh movement that will compete against Kenya Kwanza in 2027.
"Azimio might evolve to be a much bigger movement that could even be renamed something else,'' Wandayi said in an interview with the Nation.
Admitting that 2027 is still far away, Wandayi said the opposition has multiple options on how to approach the next general election even if it means retaining Azimio or crafting a new entity.
"We are going to support whoever will be picked to fly the Azimio flag. It could be Azimio, it could be something else, but again you know 2027 is still far,'' he said.
The Ugunja MP said the country is likely to witness a shift in realignment as politicians plot how to capture democratic power in the 2027 general election.
"The political landscape is going to change, there will be alignments and realignments between now and the next general election," he said.
Raila is already walking a tightrope amid cracks in Azimio especially after some key players opposed the final report of the National Dialogue Committee.
Karua and DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa opposed the Nadco report saying it fell short of addressing the issues that forced Kenyans into the streets including the cost of living.
The rifts in Azimio could force Raila to search for new allies to build a formidable force that will face Ruto in 2027.
His meeting this week with his former ally turned foe, Wanjigi, signals fresh plans to craft a new coalition.
The businessman-cum-politician fell out with Raila in 2018 after the Uhuru Park mock swearing-in.
The two were once close friends and political allies, a trait that saw Wanjigi actively take part in Raila’s 2017 campaigns.
Wanjigi alleged in a past media interview that Raila went into the March 9, 2018 handshake with Uhuru without the knowledge of his closest allies.
This will not be the first time that Raila will be crafting a new political machine ahead of general elections.
Over the last three polls, Raila has run on various coalitions to become the country's chief executive officer.
While in the 2007 polls, he flew the ODM flag. He crafted the Cord coalition that sponsored him in the 2013 polls.
In 2017, Raila formed the Nasa coalition while in 2022 he had the Azimio movement.
August 9, 2022, was Raila Odinga’s fifth stab at the presidency.
Last year, analysts said, was Raila's best bet yet, since he enjoyed the backing of Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Raila has run the whole gamut on the Kenyan opposition politics, challenging and writing history.
He was the first successful politician to challenge presidential election results, nullifying the first presidential election in Africa.
Raila has also written history by being part of the failed Building Bridges initiative and shaking hands with his once-fiercest rivals.