‘We are in Azimio to stay,’ Karua, Kioni say as they launch Kamwene caucus

Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua and Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni on Monday officially launched the Kamwene Leadership Forum, a caucus they say will be for promoting interests from the Mt Kenya region.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi, Karua said they were still strong members of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition – in which she is a co-principal – despite speculation the new outfit was signalling possible fissures within the opposition when it was first announced in September. 

She downplayed comments Azimio leader Raila Odinga made last Sunday (and later clarified to be misconstrued) which appeared to be a formal endorsement of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as the opposition’s presidential flagbearer in the 2027 general election.

“Right now, we are not talking about the race but about the unity of Mt Kenya people. Kalonzo Musyoka is our brother. We are in Azimio to stay but we still have Kamwene Caucus to caucus about Mt Kenya issues,” Karua told journalists.

“He (Odinga) wrote a statement of clarification, but even if he had endorsed [him], it would be within his right. An endorsement does not in any way curtail the chances of any other person who may wish to enter the race.”

Asked about her view on a scenario where Odinga backed Musyoka in the 2027 polls, the Narc-Kenya leader shot down such discourse as distractions, telling reporters: “We refuse to engage in distractions. Take them somewhere else, we are here to talk about Kamwene.”

There have been reports that Karua and Kioni are dissatisfied with the ongoing bipartisan talks between opposition MPs and those from the ruling Kenya Kwanza alliance.

This is over Kenya Kwanza’s purported refusal to address the rising cost of living, a key agenda of Azimio, as well as President William Ruto’s dalliance with some rebel opposition MPs and what they term as Kenya Kwanza's interference with the Jubilee Party.