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Political support can indeed be very fleeting. In the run up to the 2022 General Election, the then Deputy President William Ruto was perceived as the undisputed leader of the hustlers.

As the election was approaching, the hustler juggernaut that he had created almost lost direction and for some technically crumbled.

The choice of Rigathi Gachagua, and what was perceived as an Azimio game changer in Martha Karua as running mates tilted the campaign. To date, many critics and supporters of the Azimio Alliance cannot believe how Kenya Kwanza recovered and won. In fact, recent pronouncements by ODM leader Raila Odinga that Kenya Kwanza made promises that they had not figured out how to fulfil because they knew they were not going to win coupled with how it is taking this regime too long to start us off on their manisfesto seems to leave a lot to be desired.

But that is probably besides the point in the grand scheme of things. Granted, the elections are over and as a country, what we want is a government that addresses the  needs of the people and an alternative voice that keeps the government in check. Both the President and his deputy have been clear on the need to have a bold and vibrant Opposition.

The result is a country back on high octane campaign mode. Six months down the lane it seems like the “Bible is still up.”  Unga is actually going bad in our supermarkets because Kenyans cannot afford it.   

The current socio-economic and political context in Kenya speaks of a ruling regime that seems preoccupied with the 2027 elections and the quest to consolidate political capital.

A lot is said, and to a large extent luminaries are making great statements of intent, but on the ground very little is happening for the mwananchi. It is the reason why there are pockets of demonstrations everywhere. In fact, all the informal political spaces have turned to pockets of socioeconomic-fuelled protests and it is interesting that the protests have no political inclinations. They are solidly anchored on the high cost of basic commodities. 

Increasingly, the masses are identifying with the summit of alternative leadership that is addressing the immediate needs of Kenyans. They are finding that alternative leadership in the People’s Barazas and if the conversations in the public domain are anything to go by, it is no longer about political leaders or affiliations, but real issues.

The 14-day ultimatum by the alternative voice led by Raila Odinga has been interrogated with questions of what the end game is. Well, that is a very rhetorical question because if the government addresses the issues raised, which for all intent and purposes are not Azimio issues, then the end will be bearable cost of living for all Kenyans.

But then because the Azimio leadership is talking about the plight of hustlers, a role the hustlers’ regime has abrogated, the regime is worried.

The whistle-blower’s report and the bold resolve we see in Azimio calling out Kenya Kwanza’s win as a fraud has rattled the regime. They are yet to respond with substance and even though the veracity of the whistle-blower’s report might be contentious depending on political persuasions, it is no brainer that it has rattled the regime because it takes away the social legitimacy of Kenya Kwanza’s win, dismantles the illusion that President Ruto and his deputy Gachagua are the undisputed leaders of Mt Kenya and other regions.

Combine this with their gaffes week in week out and the momentum that the People’s Assemblies are gaining and you get the picture of the end game. The regime has certainly seen what is coming. It is the reason why they came for Jubilee and trying to buy gullible ODM MPs.

The Jubilee coup plotters ought to have unleashed a killer blow; they failed because they were in a hurry to go eat and now they sit precariously. Failed to deliver Jubilee to the regime and now facing the wrath of not just the party but also the people.

— Hansen Owilla is a PhD candidate in political communication