Former UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi has said the United Opposition remains committed to fielding a single presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Kituyi, who spoke during an interview with Citizen TV, said opposition leaders had agreed that defeating Ruto would require them to unite behind one candidate, despite some of them harbouring presidential ambitions.
“We remain committed to fielding a single presidential candidate against Ruto,” Kituyi said.
“All of the leaders, even when they hope they will be the presidential candidate, are still committed that we will be fielding one person.”
Kituyi said he would support whoever the opposition eventually settles on as its flagbearer, regardless of his personal preference.
He, however, disclosed that Nairobi Senator and Linda Mwananchi leader Edwin Sifuna is currently his preferred candidate.
“I would support whoever the United Opposition picks as their preferred candidate, and I will work with them. As of now, my preferred candidate is Sifuna; however, I will support whichever candidate is agreed upon as the candidate of the opposition,” Kituyi said.
He said the responsibility of responding to the eventual choice would rest with individual politicians, including Sifuna, rather than with him.
“How Sifuna reacts to another candidate is up to Sifuna, not Kituyi,” he said.
Kituyi also ruled himself out of the 2027 electoral contest, saying his focus was on helping the opposition develop an alternative political agenda for the country.
He said several opposition leaders, including former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, PLP leader Martha Karua and Siaya Governor James Orengo, had supported efforts to develop a political covenant with Kenyans ahead of the election.
He argued that the opposition must go beyond criticising the Kenya Kwanza administration and present voters with a clear programme for governing the country.
According to Kituyi, opposition leaders should identify specific issues around which they can build an alternative platform and make clear commitments to the electorate.
“One of the areas that is important in uniting us is, we must give some concrete issues around which we must build a new covenant with the Kenyan electorate,” he said.
Kituyi said the opposition should tell Kenyans what it would do differently if elected, rather than relying solely on dissatisfaction with the current administration.
“That it has been a disaster with this government, the alternative for this government stands for the following things, we pledge our fidelity to the following things,” he said.
On the leading opposition figures, Kituyi praised Matiang’i for what he described as a key strength that could be important in delivering an alternative government.
“Matiang’i has a certain strength that is very important for this country’s future,” he said.
“If you agree that this is going to be done, Matiang’i will break walls to get it delivered.”
Kituyi also suggested that the rise of Sifuna had altered the calculations among some opposition presidential hopefuls.
“I don’t think Eugene Wamalwa remains in contention after the rise of Sifuna,” he said.
He nevertheless praised Karua for what he described as a consistent and principled position on matters of justice.
