'I am Azimio's deputy, simple': Karua dismisses Kalonzo succession comments

Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua has scoffed at Wiper Party boss Kalonzo Musyoka’s comments that he is best suited to take over leadership of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition should its leader, Raila Odinga, become Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

Odinga is in a race to succeed Chad’s Moussa Faki as leader of the executive branch of the African Union once his term ends next year. He so far has the endorsement of eight presidents.

As a result, Musyoka has been making public comments about his readiness and suitability to take over the mantle of Azimio, which is the umbrella coalition his and Karua’s party belong to.

But in a Daily Nation interview published Thursday, Karua said the matter of who should succeed the Azimio leader if he clinches the Addis Ababa-based AUC role is out of the question because she is the coalition’s deputy.

“If I’m the deputy, is that a question? Even in small organisations like a school, when the headmaster goes to a meeting in Nairobi, who acts? It is the deputy,” the former justice minister told the newspaper.

“If we are unable to follow simple basic rules, then something is very wrong with us.”

Kalonzo, 70, has had an uncertain stance in vying for the nation's top seat for years, usually shelving his bids to support 79-year-old Odinga, a fifth-time-unlucky presidential contender.

In recent months, however, the former vice president has been quoted saying he will be President William Ruto’s main challenger come 2027 and that he is fit to lead Azimio.

Karua, 66, was Odinga’s running mate in the 2022 polls and maintains that Azimio is still healthy. She says she is focused on building Narc-Kenya.

“… Before His Excellency Raila put in his bid for AUC, we all agreed, go build your party, the strength of the party is the strength of Azimio. He’s done very well building ODM and I’m following in his footsteps building Narc Kenya. That is my main task now,” Karua told the Daily Nation.

On Musyoka’s comments that Karua’s faction of Mount Kenya region leaders within Azimio, Kamwene Caucus, is a dead idea, the Narc-Kenya leader said she will not back down.

“If he could first agree that having a party that is basically just in one place… if he could apply that,” she told the Wiper leader, adding, “His views notwithstanding, let him do his thing and we do ours.”