Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja has announced her exit from President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), declaring that she will seek the Nakuru gubernatorial seat in the 2027 General Election on a Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) ticket.
Karanja made the announcement on Friday, October 9, during a forum in Nakuru County, where she faulted the Ruto administration for failing to fulfil Kenyans’ expectations.
The senator said she had taken into account the views of her supporters, who had urged her to contest for the county’s top leadership position, influencing her decision to join the opposition party.
“I know very well that you people are my employers. You are my bosses. Even if I went to the Senate, my party leader knows very well who employed me. It is you people who employed me,” Karanja said.
She noted that her supporters had consistently expressed their desire to see her become governor, prompting her to declare her candidature under DCP.
“You can see I am dressed today in green. My clothes and even my ring are all green, and from today I will vie for that seat under DCP,” she declared.
Karanja also criticised Ruto’s administration, accusing it of failing to deliver on the promises that had motivated Kenyans to elect it in the 2022 General Election.
“I want to tell my party leader that I have heard the ground, and people have told me that they had a lot of expectations from this administration. They woke up early to elect this government, but unfortunately they did not meet their expectations,” she said.
The senator further questioned whether the President understood the economic hardships facing ordinary citizens, pointing to the rising cost of milk as an example of the challenges households 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.
Karanja joined UDA in January 2022 and went on to win the Nakuru senatorial seat on the party’s ticket during the August 2022 General Election.
Her departure comes as political leaders begin repositioning themselves ahead of the 2027 polls, with some abandoning their existing parties in favour of alternative political formations.
On Thursday, October 8, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba also announced her exit from UDA, stating that she would neither seek an elective position nor campaign for the ruling party.
Wamuchomba cited what she described as a lack of respect for other communities among some UDA leaders. She particularly criticised Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale over remarks she said were directed at the Mount Kenya community.
