President William Ruto has wasted no time in dancing on the political grave of the Azimio La Umoja coalition. In a stinging rebuke directed at his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, the Head of State has declared the opposition outfit "effectively dead" following the exit of Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), dismissing recent leadership reshuffles as the desperate rearranging of deckchairs on a sinking Titanic.

Speaking with characteristic braggadocio, President Ruto ridiculed the attempt by Uhuru Kenyatta to breathe new life into the fractured coalition. The revival strategy, which reportedly elevates Kalonzo Musyoka to the helm, was dismissed by Ruto as an exercise in futility. "Without ODM, there is no Azimio," Ruto’s camp has signaled, effectively categorizing the remaining coalition partners as political orphans with no national constituency to threaten his 2027 reelection bid.

The "Empty Shell" Narrative

The President’s comments come against a backdrop of intense realignment. With ODM factions increasingly cozying up to the government—and some engaging in what critics call a "forced marriage" with UDA—Ruto is crafting a narrative of absolute dominance. By isolating Uhuru’s faction, he aims to delegitimize any remaining opposition as merely a tribal cocoon rather than a national movement. "They are busy sharing positions in a house that has no foundation," a close Ruto ally remarked, echoing the President’s sentiment.

This political offensive is not just about 2027; it is about rewriting the history of 2022. By dismantling Azimio piece by piece, Ruto is validating his "Hustler" victory and casting the dynasties as obsolete. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-3)The attack on Uhuru’s "game plan" suggests that State House is fully aware of the subterranean moves by the retired President to galvanize a new anti-Ruto front, and is moving to crush it before it gains momentum.

• The Kalonzo Factor: Ruto’s dismissal serves to undermine Kalonzo Musyoka’s legitimacy as the new face of the opposition, painting him as a captain without an army.
• Uhuru’s Shadow: The direct address to Uhuru indicates that despite his retirement, the former President remains the central ghost haunting Ruto’s political calculus.

A One-Horse Race?

The implications for Kenya’s democracy are stark. If Ruto’s assessment holds true and Azimio collapses into irrelevance, the country faces the prospect of a de facto one-party state under the guise of a "broad-based government." The opposition’s fragmentation is now the government’s strongest policy.

As the political drums beat for 2027, the message from State House is unequivocal: the opposition is dead, and William Ruto intends to be the coroner, the undertaker, and the sole beneficiary of its demise.