Ekuru Aukot, the leader of the Thirdway Alliance Kenya party, has made allegations regarding the state of opposition politics in Kenya.
According to Aukot, the opposition, traditionally expected to challenge the government, has been ineffectual due to an alleged alliance with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
He accuses the opposition of being “bought” by the UDA, thereby compromising their ability to hold the government accountable.
- * Aukot’s Claims: He asserts that the opposition, including the Azimio la Umoja coalition, has been covertly working with the government, accusing them of deceiving the public.
- * Critique of Opposition’s Role: Aukot argues that this alleged collusion has effectively left the nation without a genuine opposition force.
Aukot made the claims while speaking on Citizen TV on Thursday, stating, “I don’t think we have opposition, we have a very compromised opposition. These people are in government in fact the so-called Azimio was bought by UDA a long time ago by UDA as early as February last year.”
This statement underlines his belief in the opposition’s inability to function independently due to its ties with the ruling party.
Aukot further pointed to the bipartisan talks at the Bomas of Kenya, which led to the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, as evidence of this compromise.
He criticized these talks as superficial, designed only to give the illusion of meaningful dialogue while failing to address key issues affecting Kenyans. The Bomas talks were initially intended to discuss ways of lowering the cost of living, but that ended up being a footnote.
Kacheliba MP Titus Lotee, a former opposition member who joined UDA, however refuted Aukot’s allegations.
Lotee emphasized that his and other members’ departure from the Azimio coalition was a personal decision, not influenced by financial incentives.
He also questioned the coalition’s effectiveness, stating, “Azimio is dead. Look at all the other wings of the coalition they are all gone they were not bought they just looked at the unfortunate situation of the coalition.”
Amid these allegations and the rumored internal disagreements within the coalition, Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio coalition, has maintained a strong stance.
He asserted the coalition’s ongoing commitment to Kenya’s liberation and downplayed any claims of disintegration: “There is no danger that Azimio collapsing anytime soon, nobody has left Azimio it has remained intact apart from a few members of parliament who have decided to take a walk.”
Looking Ahead: 2027 General Election
The political landscape continues to evolve as some coalition principals, including Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, have shown interest in vying for the presidential seat in the 2027 General Election, as has NARC Kenya leader Martha Karua.
Raila Odinga is also widely seen as a favorite, but it remains doubtful whether he can marshal a similar coalition as in 2022 and other past elections.
