Senator Tabitha Karanja Leaves UDA to Run for Nakuru Governor on DCP Ticket

On Friday, October 9, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja announced she is quitting the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and will contest the Nakuru governorship in the 2027 General Election on the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) ticket.

Karanja made the declaration at a public gathering in Nakuru, saying she had listened to supporters who urged her to seek the county’s top seat and that the electorate, not the party, had decided her next move.

She criticised the ruling party’s leadership, accusing a powerful circle around President William Ruto of undermining UDA’s popularity and blaming it for the loss in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, and called for the President to reconstitute his inner circle.

Karanja also accused Governor Susan Kihika of mismanaging county resources, describing the governor’s administration as having “plundered” public funds and failing to deliver services.

Wearing green clothing and jewellery to signal her new affiliation, Karanja said she would run under DCP, the party of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and pledged to respect other aspirants and conduct a peaceful campaign.

DCP Nakuru chairman welcomed her decision, calling it a bold move, while DCP secretary-general Simon Sangale Ole Nasieku said her entry would energise the party’s effort to challenge the incumbent administration.

The defection follows the departure of Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba from UDA on Thursday, October 8, who cited disrespect towards the Mount Kenya community and remarks by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale as reasons for leaving.

Karanja’s shift adds to a broader realignment in the Mount Kenya region, where leaders such as Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata have also joined DCP as the party seeks to expand its base ahead of the 2027 elections.

The rivalry between Karanja and Governor Kihika, once allies who campaigned together on UDA tickets in 2022, has deteriorated, with Kihika previously threatening legal action over defamation and Karanja having threatened Senate action against the governor.

Karanja joined UDA in January 2022 and was elected senator in the August 2022 General Election, becoming one of the three prominent women leaders in Nakuru popularly dubbed the “Nakuru sisters”.

It was not immediately clear whether Karanja has formally resigned from the Senate or whether DCP has officially confirmed her as its Nakuru governor candidate.