Reviving Azimio Is a Breath of Fresh air for Babu and Sifuna
The revival of the Azimio Coalition Party is not a matter of nostalgia. It is a political necessity, especially for Edwin Sifuna, Babu Owino and a growing list of ODM rebels including Kibagendi, Osotsi and others whose political relevance is increasingly under threat within a drifting ODM.
Without Azimio, these leaders remain trapped in an internal party rebellion with no national ladder to climb. With Azimio, they immediately regain altitude, visibility and bargaining power at the highest level of national politics. That is the brutal reality.
There is nothing preventing the Azimio Chairman from formally elevating Sifuna, Winnie Odinga and Babu Owino as Deputy Party Leaders under Kalonzo Musyoka. ODM is the largest shareholder in Azimio and must stop behaving like a tenant in a house it helped build. Power within coalitions is never begged for, it is asserted.
Azimio remains the only opposition vehicle with true national appeal. It sells across regions without apology or ethnic confinement. More importantly, it is the only legitimate platform through which the Raila Odinga political inheritance can be claimed. The Azimio symbol, the iconic “R”, is inseparable from Raila Odinga’s final presidential run. That brand equity did not vanish with his retirement from active contestation.
For the first time, Azimio can mount a serious six piece assault countrywide. This coalition of over twenty political parties is not a ceremonial outfit. Properly retooled, it has the numbers, structures and history to redraw the political map in ways deeply uncomfortable for William Ruto.
Azimio inherits nationwide structures that Ruto’s regime has failed to neutralise. These networks only require minimal oiling to roar back to life. Anyone dismissing this advantage misunderstands the long game of Kenyan politics. Uhuru Kenyatta’s strategic genius in constructing this political architecture remains one of the most consequential interventions in recent history.
The direction forward is also becoming clearer. With Kalonzo Musyoka as Coalition Leader, the path to him becoming the 2027 presidential candidate is almost inevitable. A ticket anchored by Kalonzo and reinforced by figures such as Wycliffe Oparanya or George Natembeya would be a hard, disciplined and nationally balanced force.
The choice before ODM rebels is simple. Continue fighting internal battles with diminishing returns, or seize Azimio and reposition themselves at the centre of national power. Politics rewards the bold, not the loyal.
