The rift within the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition widened further as six affiliate parties of the coalition held a consultative meeting to chart the way forward.
The ODM party was conspicuously missing in the meeting with six other co-principals.
The meeting, held on Thursday in Westlands, Nairobi, was attended by leaders from the Wiper Democratic Movement, Narc Kenya, DAP-K, Jubilee, PNU, and Charity Ngilu's party, all of whom are strongly opposed to the grand coalition government.
They claim they are consulting widely before making their next move.
In a picture that went viral on social media, the Azimio co-principals were seen engaged in serious discussions to re-strategise following the implosion within the coalition.
The photo showed Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Jeremiah Kioni, Peter Munya, Charity Ngilu, Enock Wambua and Eugene Wamalwa in a candid conversation.
"If you ask my position I am where the Kenyan people are, I'm where the Gen Zs are, this country has been changed forever," Kalonzo Musyoka said.
Karua captioned it: “Definitely not boarding”, presumably referring to non-cooperation in the talks floated by Rail and his political nemesis William Ruto.
The absence of the ODM party at such a crucial meeting has sparked speculation and raised questions about the unity and future of the coalition.
Speaking at a previous media panel, Nyaribari Masaba MP Daniel Manduku confirmed that ODM held a meeting and resolved to hold talks with the government of the day.
ODM National Chairman John Mbadi addressed the situation, denying a breakout in the opposition coalition.
However, he confirmed that there were glaring issues that might lead to extreme measures.
"Azimio is still one, but in the event that these differences, which I see are glaring, become impossible to resolve, then the option would be to dissolve the coalition and maybe have the political parties strategize afresh for 2027. There are outstanding differences. As ODM, we believe in transparency and honesty."
The Wiper party has demanded an explanation for why their party leader was forced to scamper for safety after rowdy youth disrupted their address.
Seemingly, this incident has further strained relations within the coalition, highlighting the underlying tensions and disagreements among the parties.
As the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition faces these internal challenges, the path ahead remains uncertain.
Politicians close to Raila Odinga have faulted the ODM leader for fronting a decision to hold a dialogue with the embattled President William Ruto's regime.
A section of Kenyans have accused Raila of betraying the worthy course of demanding accountability and good governance from President Ruto.
