Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche has lost her position as Deputy Senate Majority Leader, with nominated Senator Veronica Maina appointed to replace her in a leadership shake-up that comes weeks after her dramatic exit from President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Keroche’s removal, announced by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi on Wednesday, November 4, comes 26 days after she defected from UDA to Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), declaring her intention to challenge Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika for the county’s top seat in the 2027 General Election.
The development marks a significant shift in her political journey, having been elected Nakuru Senator on a UDA ticket in 2022 and subsequently serving in the ruling party’s Senate leadership.
The changes were formally communicated to Senators through a statement by Kingi, who confirmed that the Majority Party had resolved to remove Keroche and elected Maina to take over the position with immediate effect.
The Speaker said he had received correspondence dated November 3 from Senate Majority Whip David Wakoli, accompanied by minutes of the Majority Party meeting and a duly signed list of Senators supporting the resolution.
“The correspondence and the attached Minutes indicate that a resolution was passed by the Majority Party to remove the Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Tabitha Keroche, MGH, MP, in accordance with Standing Order 22(5),” Kingi stated.
He added that Maina had been elected during the same meeting to replace the Nakuru senator.
“The new office holder, with immediate effect is Sen. Veronica Maina, CBS, MP,” the Speaker announced.
Party power shift
The removal places Keroche outside the Senate Majority leadership structure at a time when political alignments are increasingly taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections.
Under Standing Order 22(5) of the Senate Standing Orders, a Senator elected to a Majority Party leadership position can be removed through a majority vote of all Senators belonging to the Majority Party.
The provision states: “A Senator elected under paragraph (1) may be removed by a majority of the votes of all Senators belonging to the Majority Party.”
Standing Order 22(7) further requires that a decision to remove the Senate Majority Leader or Deputy Majority Leader be communicated to the Speaker in writing by the Senate Majority Whip, together with minutes of the meeting at which the resolution was passed.
Wakoli submitted the required documents, while Kingi said he had verified the correspondence before communicating the changes to the House.
“In this respect, I have verified the correspondence received and hereby communicate that the Majority Party has effected a change in the Office of the Deputy Senate Majority Leader,” he said.
However, the Speaker’s communication did not disclose the voting figures or give specific political reasons behind the Majority Party’s decision. It also did not directly link Keroche’s removal to her departure from UDA.
DCP governor bid
Keroche announced her departure from UDA on October 9, 2026, while addressing supporters in Nakuru County, where she declared that she would pursue the governorship on the DCP ticket.
“From today I have ditched UDA, and I will vie for Nakuru Governor’s seat on DCP ticket and my party leader is aware of this,” she declared.
The senator said her decision followed consultations with residents who had urged her to seek the county’s top leadership position rather than remain in the Senate.
She also criticised the Ruto administration over what she described as its failure to meet the expectations of Kenyans who voted for the Kenya Kwanza government in the 2022 General Election.
Her political shift puts her in the same gubernatorial contest as Kihika, who was elected Nakuru Governor on a UDA ticket in 2022.
The two leaders, once political allies within the ruling party, have since fallen out over county leadership and governance issues, with Keroche repeatedly questioning the governor’s record on service delivery.
Her move to DCP also aligns her with Gachagua, whose party has been positioning itself as an alternative political vehicle ahead of the next General Election.
Despite losing the Senate leadership position, Keroche retains her mandate as Nakuru Senator. The changes announced by Kingi affect her leadership office and do not amount to the loss of her Senate seat.
Maina now assumes the Deputy Senate Majority Leader position with immediate effect, as the Senate Majority Party reshapes its leadership ahead of the next election cycle.
