Why Kalonzo will host Gachagua, opposition chiefs in Tseikuru

Party leaders Kalonzo Musyoka(Wiper) and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua(DCP)./FILE

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka will, on Thursday, May 29, 2025, host key opposition figures—including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua—at his Tseikuru residence in Kitui County.

The event, the first of its kind at Kalonzo’s rural home in years, signals the beginning of an intense battle for the Ukambani vote bloc ahead of the 2027 general election.

Each major opposition leader is under growing pressure to consolidate their political base to strengthen their bargaining position in negotiations over who will fly the coalition’s presidential flag.

Gachagua has previously challenged Kalonzo to deliver at least four million Ukambani votes to the opposition as a condition for securing support from the Mount Kenya region.

Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi described the meeting as a game-changing consultative forum for opposition leaders seeking to unseat President William Ruto.

“This is a major consultative meeting and a gesture of goodwill as we embark on an aggressive push to lock Kenya Kwanza out of the Ukambani region,” Mwangangi said.

“Going forward, Ukambani will make it unequivocally clear that the train has left the station. Our region will not be left behind in forming the next government led by opposition principals.”

The meeting is expected to be attended by top Wiper leaders from across the Ukambani region, including grassroots mobilisers, as Kalonzo seeks to tighten his grip on the bloc in his quest for the opposition presidential ticket.

The gathering also comes just days before President Ruto is expected to tour the three Ukambani counties—Kitui, Machakos, and Makueni—to inspect and commission development projects. 

It is against this backdrop that Kalonzo is hosting top opposition leaders in his backyard to lay the groundwork for solidifying Ukambani’s support behind his 2027 ambitions.

Among the leaders expected to attend are DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa, Martha Karua (People’s Liberation Party), Justin Muturi (Democratic Party), and Jubilee’s Saitoti Torome.

Former Cabinet Minister Mukhisa Kituyi is also expected at what is being seen as a significant opposition strategy session. Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka will represent former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’I, who is out of the country.

The meeting also aims to counter claims that Kalonzo is secretly seeking a political deal with the Kenya Kwanza government.

He is currently engaged in a political rivalry with Ruto allies led by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, who is eyeing influence over the Ukambani vote.

President Ruto recently claimed that he offered Kalonzo a position in his government, but the Wiper leader reportedly turned it down.

Kalonzo has publicly dismissed any suggestion of working with the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Speaking to the media on May 23, 2025, Kalonzo stated firmly, “President Ruto should tell us where exactly we met. Some State House bloggers are claiming I met him there, but that’s false. This government must go. How could I possibly be aligned with such an administration?”

During a meeting at State House on May 21, 2025, President Ruto revealed that he first approached Kalonzo before reaching out to ODM leader Raila Odinga after the 2022 election.

“After we were done with the 2022 election, I reached out to Mr Musyoka before reaching out to Mr Odinga, but he turned down the offer,” Ruto said.

Despite the political wrangling, the President also expressed his willingness to collaborate with grassroots leaders from Ukambani to transform the region.