Martha Karua's NARC party announces exit from Azimio coalition

Martha Karua’s National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) has announced its departure from the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

The decision comes in the wake of president Ruto’s nomination of some members of the ODM party in his new Cabinet.

Martha Karua, a veteran politician and former Justice Minister, who was  ODM’s Raila Odinga runningmate in the 2022 elections, revealed the decision to exit Azimio during a press conference held at the NARC party headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday. Flanked by senior party officials, Karua stated that the decision was reached after extensive consultations and careful deliberation within the party ranks.

“We have decided to chart our own path, separate from the Azimio coalition, to better align with our values and the needs of the Kenyan people. This decision was made after careful consideration of the direction in which the coalition is heading,” Karua declared, emphasizing NARC’s dedication to maintaining its integrity and political ideals.

Karua highlighted that the party’s core principles—democracy, accountability, and social justice—have been at odds with the current direction of the Azimio coalition, prompting this decisive step.

Underlying reasons for NARC’s Departure

While the announcement did not delve into specific incidents that precipitated this departure, insiders hint at growing tensions within the coalition. Sources suggest that internal disagreements over leadership strategies and policy priorities have been simmering for some time, ultimately leading to this separation.

President Ruto recently announced five  prominent ODM members that include former Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and John Mbadi as Cabinet secretaries in a move critics are terming as a “handshake” between Odinga and president Ruto.

Prior to Ruto announcing the ODM leaders as Cabinet Secretaries, another set of leaders in the Azimio coalition that included  Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka had also cited “competiting and conflicting interests” in the coalition, and distanced themselves from alleged talks to  engage with Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza government.