'Nimeskiza ground!' Senator Tabitha Karanja announces defection from UDA to DCP

Pointing to her clothing and accessories as visual proof of her new political home, Karanja noted: "Look at me. Can’t you see even the ring is green? Even those watching can see everything is green. Isn’t that true? Even the clothes, isn’t that true? Therefore, we are going to fight for that seat with DCP."

Directing her speech toward her party leadership, the Senator emphasized that her decision stems from directly listening to electorate grievances on the ground regarding unmet expectations under the current administration. 

"I am fighting for the seat with DCP. And I want to tell my party leader... I want to tell my party leader that I have listened to the ground, and the people have told me: We had a lot of expectations for this government. We woke up very early in the morning to vote for this government. But the expectations you had - have you received them?" she asked the crowd of excited supporters. 

The senator further questioned the President’s understanding of the economic challenges facing Kenyans, citing rising milk prices as an example of the difficulties Kenyans were experiencing.

“I can see that our president does not understand the needs of the people. The president does not see ahead. Recently I went to the supermarket and found the prices of milk have risen. It is very shameful for Kenya to lack milk,” Karanja added.

Tabitha Karanja's transition into politics followed a long, prominent career in Kenya’s corporate and manufacturing sectors. 

As the founder and longtime CEO of Keroche Breweries - Kenya’s first large-scale domestic brewery owned by a local entrepreneur - Karanja built a reputation as a resilient business leader battling corporate monopolies and tax disputes with regulatory authorities.

Capitalizing on her popularity as a home-grown industrialist, she made her political debut ahead of the August 2022 General Election on a UDA ticket. 

She secured the Nakuru County Senatorial seat with 442,864 votes, succeeding Susan Kihika, who successfully ran for Nakuru Governor.

During her tenure in the 13th Parliament, Karanja’s Senate contributions have primarily focused on economic issues, protection of local manufacturing, land rights, security concerns in Nakuru, and oversight of devolved county funds. 

Her decision to exit UDA highlights growing realignments within Rift Valley politics as lawmakers gauge public sentiment ahead of upcoming electoral contests.