The failure of a crucial meeting scheduled to decide whether to engage in President William Ruto’s proposed national dialogue has brought to light deep divisions within the opposition.

The meeting, intended to take place on Monday in Nairobi, was set to bring together Azimio la Umoja principals, including Raila Odinga, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Narc Kenya boss Martha Karua, Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, and Roots Party boss George Wajackoya. However, the meeting did not happen as planned, with Raila reportedly attending to private matters at his Capitol Hill offices while his co-principals remained aloof.

The venue for the meeting was supposed to be communicated on Monday morning, but key leaders, particularly those critical of the dialogue, were unreachable. The failure of this meeting, despite earlier announcements, exposed the cracks within Azimio la Umoja, stemming from an alleged secret deal between Raila and Ruto. This deal supposedly followed a recent meeting between the two leaders and Raila’s unexpected endorsement of the national dialogue.

A section of principals including Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, and Eugene Wamalwa were notably non-committal about attending the meeting, reflecting their opposition to the dialogue. A senior leader within Azimio and a trusted ally of Raila mentioned, “The meeting flopped because leaders kept sending mixed signals. The essence of the meeting was to strike a balance on the talks and, if agreeable, settle on the modalities and framework for harmonization with the government side.”

Another attempt to convene a meeting on Sunday night at the home of former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya also failed, as several leaders were absent. The leaders who did attend were those present at the funeral of Oparanya’s brother earlier that day, where some Azimio leaders expressed hardline positions against the talks, further isolating Raila.

Critics of the dialogue, such as Jeremiah Kioni, have been vocal about their opposition. Kioni dismissed the national dialogue as a waste of time, urging President Ruto to address the pressing issues raised by Generation Zoomers (Gen Z) and millennials instead. “It’s a way of the Executive slowing things down and failing to do what Kenyans want while keeping you in boardrooms over time to buy time and continue doing what they have always done,” Kioni said during a burial in Kakamega.

Martha Karua echoed similar sentiments, rejecting the invitation for dialogue and stating that it can only be meaningful if all players act in good faith. “Dialogue can only be meaningful if the players have good faith and are guided by the best interests of the people. This is a trap, period,” Karua asserted.

Despite President Ruto’s announcement that the multi-sectoral forum talks would begin on Monday and include 150 participants, the talks did not commence as planned, with no explanation provided for the delay. Raila’s endorsement of the dialogue last week seemed to contrast sharply with his actions on Sunday, where he led an opposition brigade to Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums and denounced any dialogue with the government following the discovery of bodies in Kware. “There is no dialogue, we want action. Kenya has to move forward. We cannot dialogue with an administration involved in such heinous acts like these killings of innocent Kenyans at Mukuru kwa Njenga. We are not going to talk with people whose hands are full of blood,” Raila declared.

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Kalonzo Musyoka also voiced his opposition to the dialogue, emphasizing that Kenyans do not want to engage with an oppressive administration responsible for the killing of innocent youths. “I am very certain that Kenyans do not want us to dialogue with this administration that has been oppressive to them in the last 20 months it has been in power, with killings of innocent youths who were only agitating for good governance,” Kalonzo stated.

President Ruto’s recent announcement of a new “broad-based government” following weeks of deadly anti-government protests has further exacerbated tensions. The protests, initially sparked by the controversial tax bill, have led to calls for Ruto’s resignation. Despite promising a new, inclusive cabinet, many Kenyans were disappointed to see familiar faces from the previous administration.

Kalonzo, speaking on behalf of several Azimio constituent parties, reiterated their stance against joining the proposed government of national unity, labeling it a betrayal of the citizens, especially the youth who pushed for change. “We SHALL NOT join for the straightforward reason that such actions are a betrayal of the ideology, values, and tenets of both our coalition party and our constituent parties. As long as the Kenya Kwanza regime remains in place, absolutely nothing will change,” Musyoka asserted.

As the rift within Azimio la Umoja deepens, Raila Odinga faces increasing criticism and accusations of betraying both his co-principals and his supporters by siding with President Ruto’s administration.