Fresh unity test as Matiang'i joins anti-Ruto big guns

The entry of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i into the opposition coalition could present a major unity test for leaders plotting to unseat President William Ruto in 2027.

Matiang’i’s first-ever public appearance alongside key opposition figures on Tuesday ended months of speculation over his political allegiance, but also introduced fresh dynamics into an already crowded opposition.

The high-level strategy meeting brought together prominent opposition leaders, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper party leader and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, PLP leader Martha Karua, DAP-K boss Eugene Wamalwa, former minister Mukhisa Kituyi, and Jubilee national chairperson Saitoti Torome.

While the gathering projected unity, Matiang’i’s entry could complicate the power balance within the alliance, with several heavyweights—including Gachagua, Kalonzo, Karua and Wamalwa—eyeing the coalition’s presidential ticket.

Gachagua, the former Mathira MP and impeached Deputy President, remains a frontrunner for the opposition’s joint ticket owing to his Mt Kenya roots, a key vote bloc critical to the alliance's success.

Though he is challenging his impeachment in court, he has expressed interest in a 2027 run amid fears of possible voter apathy unless the region secures either the presidential or running mate slot.

Last week, Gachagua said their focus for now is on looking for votes from Kenyans, but when the time comes, they will have to settle on a single candidate for the opposition coalition.

“I am vying for presidency, so is Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang'i, Eugene Wamalwa, and we continue to look for votes in the end, we shall talk and agree to back one candidate. Even if it is not me, I will support whoever we agree on,” he said during an interview with Weru TV on Sunday.

Kalonzo, who ran for president in 2007 and served as Raila Odinga’s running mate in 2013 and 2017, brings with him the loyal Ukambani vote base and political experience.

He is the senior-most politician in the opposition, having joined politics in the early 1980s.

Karua, another Mt Kenya heavyweight, offers both regional support and the gender card, having run for president in 2013 and deputised Raila in 2022.

The Mt Kenya region now has the highest number of principals in the coalition—Gachagua, Karua, former Speaker Justin Muturi, and former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi—further complicating flagbearer negotiations.

Muturi, recently dismissed by Ruto and replaced by Geoffrey Ruku, has fallen out with the Kenya Kwanza regime, but officially joined the Gachagua camp on Tuesday.

Despite the complexities, the Tuesday meeting in Nairobi aimed to demonstrate cohesion.

“This is the team to liberate Kenya,” Gachagua declared, welcoming Matiang’i, Muturi, and Linturi. “You are on the right side of history.”

Kalonzo described the coalition as “the team that will save Kenya,” while Eugene emphasised the urgency of ousting what he termed a “rudderless, corrupt, bloodied, and irredeemable government.”

The coalition now faces a delicate balancing act—crafting a united front while managing individual ambitions.

Matiang’i, once a powerful CS in the Uhuru Kenyatta government, is expected to seek the opposition's presidential ticket, potentially creating friction among the top contenders.

While critics have questioned his record, especially on human rights, his allies point to his administrative competence and national appeal that could be crucial in galvanising the country against Ruto.

However, the coalition’s credibility is already being questioned from within civil society and the youth movement.

Kitutu Chache South MP Antony Kibagendi said the opposition team will form the next government.  “Many others serving now in broad-based government and those in the former government will be joining,’’ he said.

Political activist Morara Kebaso issued a stinging rebuke, warning that the inclusion of controversial former officials undermines the alliance’s legitimacy.

“Is this what Gen Zs died for? Is this the future we wanted?” Kebaso asked, referencing the youth-led protests against the Ruto regime. “We will not recycle the problem to solve the problem.”

He dismissed the coalition as “a unity without vision, unity without purpose,” and called for a new movement of progressive leaders untainted by past corruption or tribalism.

Karua fired back, accusing Kebaso of siding with a regime that “killed Gen Z in order to remain in power,” and dismissed his criticisms as “state-sponsored diversion tactics.”

Notably, Kebaso had initially shown signs of alignment with Gachagua.

On March 1, he met the former DP to discuss political reforms, youth unemployment, and governance, even appearing at the launch of Karua’s PLP.

But by March 25, he had distanced himself from Gachagua, accusing him of pursuing tribal interests rather than national unity.

Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi said the mood in the country is to do away with the Kenya Kwanza regime as soon as is practically possible.

“The pressure from Kenyans will ensure they hold together. We have learnt as a country that the sitting government would want to have a very weak opposition, that is why they did everything to have ODM on their side,’’

He also noted that the opposition was wary of fringe presidential candidates sponsored by the government to divide votes and get a clear path for the second term.

“The way the country stands currently, any of the opposition leaders who run away from the opposition unity will face the wrath of Kenyans,’’ he said.

Kitui Senator Enock Wambua described the strategy meeting as a turning point in Kenya’s political history, predicting that Ruto would become the country’s first one-term president.

“There comes a time when the burden of an entire nation must fall equitably on the shoulders of patriots. That time is now,” he said.

With the 2027 race gaining momentum, the opposition’s challenge will be to maintain unity while navigating the turbulent waters of ambition, legacy, and public trust.