Coalitions: Which way Martha Karua and Justin Muturi?

Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi during a meeting at a Nairobi hotel on Saturday, August 7, 2021 [Courtesy]

With exactly 146 days to the August 9 General Election, Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi are the only two senior political leaders yet to give a clear indication on their move.

The duo is yet to decide if they will join the current leading political formations or will go it alone in the upcoming polls.

Mr Muturi, who is a presidential contender and Ms Karua, a principal in One Kenya Alliance, are yet to declare support for the Azimio la Umoja brigade led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, or the Kenya Kwanza Alliance led by Deputy President William Ruto.

Will they vie for their desired positions independent of the two coalitions?

An invitation by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria to Ms Karua for her to “choose a side” has lifted the lid on the latter’s protracted journey to deciding her next move.

Mr Kuria said only a Ruto and Karua ticket would save Kenyan politics from ‘dynastic domination’.  

Notably, Ms Karua has been an integral part of two alliances namely the Mount Kenya Unity Forum and the One Kenya Alliance (OKA). Affiliate members of these outfits have however joined either the Azimio or Kenya Kwanza fronts, leaving Karua seemingly isolated.

First, it was her OKA co-principals Gideon Moi (Kanu), Cyrus Jirongo (UDP-K) and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) who aligned themselves with Azimio la Umoja during and after its National Delegates Conference (NDC) on March 12, 2022.

Of the four, only Karua is yet to formally join the formation.

On the flip side, her Mount Kenya Unity Forum counterparts Kuria (Chama cha Kazi), former CS Mwangi Kiunjuri (TSP party) and William Kabogo (Tujibebe Wakenya party) have also chosen to work with Ruto and Kenya Kwanza comprising United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya parties.

So which way for Karua?

While insisting she is not alone, Ms Karua said there is no constitutional deadline for a party to join a coalition and she still has time to decide Narc Kenya’s future.

“Martha Karua is in Narc Kenya. She is not out in the rain but in a beautified house called Narc Kenya,” said Ms Karua during an interview on NTV early this week.

She also said that OKA is no more, noting that it was only a political vehicle for negotiations ahead of the polls.

“…One Kenya Alliance was our collaborators for the sole purpose of negotiating together but my co-principals signed a coalition agreement as individual parties to enter Azimio during the outfit’s NDC, meaning that OKA fell on that day,” Ms Karua said.

“There is no deadline for political parties to join coalitions or come together. We (Narc Kenya) can still unite with those that we were with even without a formal agreement as was the case before our OKA coalition agreement. We have equally not been barred from engaging with other players in the political field.”

Stumbling block

Ms Karua also refuted claims that she was the stumbling block in OKA that had delayed the team from joining Azimio and maintained that she was firmly in the race for Kirinyaga governor’s seat.

Then there is Speaker Muturi who, since announcing his presidential bid on July 3, 2021, has neither entered  any alliance nor indicated a desire to join Ruto or Raila’s camp.

His dalliance with Ruto’s allies on Monday, days after announcing he was ready to start talks with other like-minded parties, has set tongues wagging. Mr Muturi was on Monday campaigning in Meru and was hosted by Senator Mithika Linturi, fanning talk that he was headed to Kenya Kwanza camp.

There was also a photo he posted on Twitter, captioned, “We all can work, but together we win. Interacting with like-minded people like my good brother and a friend Mithika Linturi.”

Yesterday, he said that his priority is building the membership of Democratic Party but insisted he was not going to join a coalition party.

During its NDC, Azimio la Umoja ratified its members’ decision for it to be registered as Azimio la Umoja coalition party.

“I cannot join coalition political parties because it means my party will be swallowed (sic). I am however open to forming a coalition with other political parties,” said Muturi. “Currently, I am mobilising for membership of my party. I have got aspirants for governor and even MCA seats in the coming elections.”

Only time will tell in which direction the political wind will blow the sails of Ms Karua and Mr Muturi.