Intense competition is emerging within the United Opposition coalition over who will be picked to challenge President William Ruto in the August 2027 General Election.
The dispute pits supporters of Jubilee Party’s Deputy Party Leader and presidential aspirant, Dr Fred Matiang’i, who insists the nomination process must be transparent and involve the public, against backers of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who maintain that Kalonzo is the most suitable flagbearer for the opposition.
At a joint meeting between Jubilee and the Party of National Unity (PNU), where they formally announced a new political pact, Matiang’i called for a transparent and credible presidential nomination process within the united opposition.
“If our interest is unity and bringing everybody together, then honestly there is no substitute for inclusion, including the public, and ensuring that we are open and transparent about these issues and engage the people. Maybe you in the media should even organise a presidential debate for opposition candidates,” he said.
Matiang’i stressed that for the opposition to stand any chance against Ruto, the coalition must nominate a candidate the public can trust.
“If we have five candidates, we are going to have a process where four of them will not be nominated as flagbearer. They must have a credible basis of conviction to tell their supporters that we went through this process and arrived at X or Y as the candidate. Since we are bound by that arrangement, let us now support that candidate,” he added.
His remarks were backed by Peter Munya, leader of PNU, who confirmed that his party would not field a presidential candidate, a move widely seen as bolstering Matiang’i’s influence at the opposition’s negotiating table.
On the other hand, supporters of Kalonzo, including some Wiper Party leaders, reacted strongly. Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua was adamant that Kalonzo must be the opposition’s presidential nominee.
“I strongly believe that Matiang’i is being used by the system to bring confusion into the opposition. He must toe the line and go with the decision of the majority,” he said.
The tensions come amid reports that some opposition figures are wary of a potential Matiang’i presidency, despite internal polls reportedly showing him as a strong frontrunner.
Nevertheless, when speaking publicly, as seen during their “meet the people” tours in Nairobi earlier this week, opposition leaders are keen to project fairness and unity, carefully framing their statements to reflect solidarity within the coalition.
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