Speaking at the Democratic Party’s National Delegates Congress at Ufungamano House in Nairobi, coalition leaders emphasized that national interests supersede individual political ambitions in their quest to unseat the incumbent.
“We have one purpose: to bring good leadership. We have to unite to liberate Kenya,” said Martha Karua, leader of the Namunga Muungano Party, formerly known as the Party of National Unity.
Opposition consolidation effort
The congress confirmed former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi as the Democratic Party leader and presidential candidate, though opposition figures stressed this represents one component of their broader coalition strategy rather than a final selection for 2027.
The gathering brought together prominent opposition figures including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who leads the Democratic Congress Party; former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, representing Jubilee Party; Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper Democratic Movement; and Eugene Wamalwa of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya.
According to reporting by The Star, Muturi alleged that Kenya Kwanza operatives are attempting to undermine opposition cohesion by recruiting rivals within individual parties.
“They were even looking for a person to compete with me in DP in the NDC so that I do not become the flagbearer,” Muturi said. “Let me make this clear: whoever is bought by detractors to sow disunity amongst us is the enemy of the people.”
Ruto touts UDA-ODM partnership
The opposition’s unity pledge came one day after President Ruto declared confidence that his alliance with the Orange Democratic Movement would secure him a commanding victory in 2027.
Speaking Monday at the United Democratic Alliance National Governing Council meeting, Ruto projected a two to three million vote margin of victory, a stark contrast to his approximately 200,000-vote win in 2022, as reported by Nation Media Group.
“The Kenya Kwanza administration had learned key lessons from the 2022 election,” Ruto told party leaders, according to Standard Digital, emphasizing that “future leadership required a broader public endorsement to ensure continued implementation of the transformation agenda.”
The president defended the UDA-ODM cooperation as essential for national unity and ending what he termed the “culture of exclusion that has historically followed elections.”
Unity faces skepticism
Opposition coalitions in Kenya have historically struggled with internal divisions and competing presidential ambitions. The 2022 election saw Raila Odinga lead a coalition that fractured after defeat, with some members subsequently joining Ruto’s government.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Matiang’i addressed those doubts directly. “Anyone betting that the opposition will fall apart will lose,” he said at Tuesday’s congress.
Gachagua, whose impeachment as deputy president last year marked a dramatic split with Ruto, assured delegates that the unified opposition would field a candidate capable of limiting Ruto to one term.
“Do not be worried. The Kenyan population will make Ruto a one-term president,” Gachagua said.
High stakes for 2027
The 2027 election will test whether Kenya’s opposition can overcome its historical pattern of fragmentation to mount a credible challenge against an incumbent backed by state resources and a parliamentary majority.
Political analysts note that the ODM’s pivot toward government cooperation has reshaped the opposition landscape, forcing other parties to consolidate or risk irrelevance, according to analysis by Business Daily Africa.
With three years until voters return to the polls, both camps face the task of maintaining coalition discipline while navigating Kenya’s complex ethnic and regional political dynamics.
Kalonzo Musyoka framed the challenge in stark terms: “It is the only way to defeat President William Ruto.”
