Simmering differences persist in United Opposition as Karua misses crucial meeting

Fresh political signals from within the United Opposition are exposing simmering differences even as leaders continue to publicly project unity ahead of the 2027 General Election.

People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua was conspicuously absent in yet another meeting of the opposition leaders on Thursday that was attended by Rigathi Gachagua (DCP), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Fred Matiang'i (Jubilee) and Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K).

While no official reason was given for her absence, it comes against the backdrop of increasingly pointed remarks that suggest unresolved tensions over leadership, strategy and regional influence within the coalition. 

During a recent tour in Karatina, Karua warned against replacing the current administration with “the same failure wearing a different face,”

The statement was widely interpreted in political circles as a veiled critique of Gachagua who was part of the Ruto administration.

In a recent radio interview, Karua dismissed Gachagua’s claims to regional dominance, stating that he is “not the Mt Kenya kingpin” and describing him as “just a party leader like me or Uhuru Kenyatta.”

“Mt Kenya people had already left the government while he was still deputy president. He found us here,” she said.

At the same time, Gachagua and Kalonzo have alleged external interference in the coalition’s affairs, claiming there are moles in the camp.

Speaking at Tononoka Grounds last week, the two leaders claimed that Ruto had planted “moles” within the opposition to sow discord and weaken its unity ahead of 2027.

The claims, though unsubstantiated, reflect growing suspicion within the alliance and point to internal cohesion as a key challenge going forward.

Further evidence of unease has come from within the opposition ranks.

Jubilee deputy party leader Jeremiah Kioni has openly criticised the coalition’s approach, warning that leaders are prioritising their individual political bases rather than building a unified national front.

“The challenge facing a united opposition is that leaders are focusing on their individual bases rather than touring the country together in unity,” Kioni said in a podcast, pointing to separate mobilisation efforts by different factions.

He contrasted the United Opposition approach to that of Linda Mwananchi camp led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Sifuna said the camps’s national approach by holding meetings across the country has generated significant public excitement, an indication, he argued, that the opposition needs to rethink its strategy.

"Edwin Sifuna has been out with his team for two months and you can see how he has excited Kenyans. Then you can tell that something needs to be done different within the United Opposition. It's going to be easy to walk from the United Opposition and think they will just support you,” Kioni said.

The simmering differences reflect the challenge in the camp in balancing the ambitions of the principals, each with distinct political bases and aspirations, while maintaining a cohesive alliance capable of mounting a credible challenge to Ruto.

National Assembly Majority leader and Ruto ally Kimani Ichung'wah (Kikuyu) has also said the opposition is fragmented.

“The opposition is so disunited. One faction is calling itself Alternative Nothing… I have seen another one moving around by herself. I hear the Jubilee team is also working to move on their own,” Ichung’wah said on the floor of the House.

Despite the internal differences, however, opposition leaders have continued to appear together at select public events, emphasising a shared objective of unseating the Kenya Kwanza administration.

The main issue triggering the friction is the unresolved question is who leads the camp as the presidential candidate, and on what terms.

While Gachagua has maintained the decision on who becomes the flagbearer should be determined by the votes they bring to the table, Jubilee has argued for a scientific method.

The latest opinion polls by Infotrak show Matiang’i leading in the camp with 13 per cent as the preferred presidential candidate, followed by Kalonzo at 12 per cent, Gachagua five per cent and Karua two per cent.