Kenyan political parties confront a delicate challenge in reconciling the interests of established leaders and dedicated loyalists with those of prominent newcomers and defectors pursuing nomination tickets.
From the United Democratic Alliance led by President William Ruto to the Democracy for Citizens Party headed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, as well as Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper and the Jubilee Party, party leaders are outwardly assuring transparent and fair nomination processes, while inwardly wrestling with strategies to prevent damaging conflicts from competitive internal selections.
This dilemma grows increasingly complex as coalition negotiations and regional distribution plans commence with the elections approaching just over a year away.
Numerous contests for parliamentary, senate, and governorship positions are already developing as political arenas where current officeholders face determined newcomers.
Take the newly established DCP party as an example; its leader Rigathi Gachagua has stated that his organization will guarantee transparent and fair primary elections and nomination certificates to popular and worthy candidates. He further emphasized that even his closest supporters will not receive special consideration.
Nevertheless, Gachagua has already named former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi as the party’s candidate for Meru governor position. He has also designated Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango as his gubernatorial candidate.
In Mombasa, Gachagua similarly endorsed Mohammed Ali as his favored candidate for governor prior to reaching a compromise with Wiper party.
Multiple constituencies in Nyeri, Murang’a, Kiambu, and Kirinyaga are currently observing quiet confrontations between veteran politicians aligned with Gachagua and younger contenders attempting to benefit from the anti-Ruto sentiment in the area.
In Nyandarua, although former MCA Kieru Wambui has formally announced his candidacy for the Nyandarua Senate seat, the position is effectively earmarked for the current officeholder and newly appointed party secretary general John Methu.
A similar pattern is manifesting in Senate positions across Naivasha, Murang’a, Laikipia, and Kiambu, as well as parliamentary seats for Gachagua’s supporters.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu cautioned that candidates may be excluded irrespective of their local support base.
Ngunjiri, who previously served as an aide to Gachagua, contended that internal party mechanisms could outweigh local political efforts.
“My unsolicited advice to those individuals is that Gachagua is operating as a political player. Unless your individual political stature surpasses the party’s influence locally, he will auction off your nomination to the highest bidder in 2027,” he stated.
“Even if you were the one who actually established the party at the grassroots level.”
Meanwhile, in Rift Valley counties where UDA maintains strong influence, new candidates aligned with the President are increasingly confronting incumbent MPs whom segments of the party membership accuse of poor performance or straying from official party positions.
The party also contends with pressure from young candidates and professionals aiming to leverage the Kenya Kwanza brand to enter Parliament, unsettling current lawmakers.
In Nakuru, Governor Susan Kihika confronts threats of removal not only from opposition forces but also from within UDA as Hillary Kipngeno and Joseph Rotich vie to succeed her under the UDA banner.
Within Wiper party, Kalonzo will face difficulties in reconciling the ambitions of Mavoko MP Patrick Makau with those of current officeholder Wavinya Ndeti, who is in her first term.
Makau has demanded transparent and fair nomination processes free from intervention by party leadership and opposition figures.
The circumstances could deteriorate further if the opposition adopts regional distribution systems to prevent vote division in critical areas.
Under such an arrangement, certain parties might need to yield competition in specific counties or constituencies to coalition partners, potentially excluding candidates who have made substantial local investments.
The Jubilee Party, despite its diminished national standing, also confronts pressure from former loyalists pursuing political returns, while newcomers seek control of party structures in regions of Central Kenya and Nairobi.