Kalonzo, Rigathi teams push ‘coalition talks’ to next week

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DCP boss Rigathi Gachagua have postponed a crucial opposition meeting aimed at formalising a coalition to challenge President William Ruto in the next general election.

The Star has established the retreat, initially scheduled for Thursday and Friday this week, will now take place next week.

“Our meeting will happen on February 16 and 17. The agenda is how to take Ruto home,” Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, a close ally of Kalonzo, said.

According to insiders, the two-day retreat is expected to firm up the coalition’s structures, agree on a name and chart the legal pathway for formal registration.

The principals are also expected to receive a report from a technical team that has been working behind the scenes to draft the coalition’s instruments.

“We want to put in place structures and name our coalition in good time. We may not name the coalition on that day but we shall make serious progress,” Maanzo said.

The development comes amid plans for a three-day political tour of Nyanza later this month, starting in Kisii on February 23.

The region is the home turf of Jubilee deputy leader Fred Matiang'i, who is among the key figures in the emerging alliance.

Besides Kalonzo and Gachagua, the opposition line-up includes Democratic Action Party–Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi and Matiang’i.

Sources familiar with the process say the technical team has completed its assignment and will present draft documents at the retreat.

The team has reportedly proposed a tentative coalition name, draft constitution, theme colours and branding tools.

It has also outlined a committee structure to oversee key functions such as resource mobilisation, communication, campaign strategy and election logistics.

Each committee is expected to be headed by one of the principals in a power-sharing arrangement designed to manage competing interests.

Significantly, the team is said to have identified at least two possible presidential ticket combinations.

Internal, low-key opinion sampling reportedly places Kalonzo as the preferred presidential candidate, with Matiang’i proposed as his running mate.

However, sources indicate that the reverse pairing—Matiang’i as presidential candidate and Kalonzo as deputy—remains under consideration as part of delicate negotiations to balance regional and political interests.

“Any of these principals is fit for purpose,” Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said, dismissing speculation of rivalry.

Despite visible progress, insiders concede the talks have not been without friction.

A key sticking point has been the timing of unveiling the coalition and naming its presidential flagbearer.

Kalonzo has previously argued for an early declaration to project unity and seriousness, proposing the coalition name its candidate by the first quarter of 2026.

He maintains an early announcement would allow the opposition to function as a government-in-waiting and give it ample time to campaign.

Gachagua, however, has taken a more cautious approach, warning that declaring a candidate too early would expose the nominee to political pressure and state machinery.

He has cited the 2002 opposition strategy, when Mwai Kibaki was unveiled as the opposition candidate only months before the election.

"We will declare our flagbearer a few months before the election so we can face Ruto head-on,” Gachagua said previously.

The debate has fuelled perceptions of internal divisions, though allies insist the delay is strategic rather than symptomatic of disunity.

“There have been attempts to divide us through propaganda, but we are united,” Wambua said.

“The naming of the candidate will happen when it is convenient for us. One thing we are sure of is that we will field one candidate to defeat Ruto.”

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu echoed the call for patience, arguing the opposition still has more than a year before the election and should avoid rushing into decisions that could backfire.

“We have a lot of time. There is no hurry; otherwise, we will fall into Ruto’s trap,” he said.