Opposition leaders led by Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka at a press conference on Monday /HANDOUT
The proposal to pair Kalonzo with Sifuna reflects a calculated strategy to balance regional voting blocs and generational appeal.
A separate TIFA poll placed Sifuna ahead of Kalonzo in individual presidential popularity, polling 15 per cent against the Wiper leader’s 13 per cent.
The move nonetheless carries significant risk. Gachagua has publicly insisted on running, presenting himself as the Mt Kenya kingpin whose regional numbers make him indispensable.
The Kalonzo camp’s urgency is driven by a fear that Gachagua’s preference for waiting until March or April next year could derail the opposition’s momentum.
The retreat comes just days after Azimio la Umoja rebranded as the Ukombozi Alliance, with Kalonzo announcing the change at a press briefing on Monday.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who had been the coalition’s chairman, is expected to hand over the mantle to Siaya Governor James Orengo, according to sources.
The rebranding has not been without controversy. The National Liberal Party, a constituent party of Azimio, has formally objected to the name change, accusing the coalition leadership of proceeding without consultation or adherence to the Coalition Agreement.
Sifuna’s allies, meanwhile, maintain that the Nairobi senator’s own political vehicle will be unveiled within two weeks, with Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi insisting the setback over the Ukombozi name would not derail the Linda Mwananchi project.
The developments come at the height of the fight over Ukombozi name.
At the centre of the row is the United Democratic Party (UDP), initially linked to politician Cyrus Jirongo (deceased), and now being reworked by Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and his allies.
It is widely believed Sifuna was planning to use the rebranded party to contest next year’s presidential election.
But documents seen by the Star show the Ukombozi People’s Party name had a history of its own, dating back to March 2025.
It is emerging that on March 13, 2025, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties reserved the name Ukombozi People’s Party for Allan Jayuga Akivaga.
A letter from the ORPP gave Akivaga 90 days to complete the process. The process was not completed within that period, allowing the reservation to lapse.
That lapse became the first opening in what would later turn into a contest for control of the Ukombozi identity.
Akivaga has now protested the subsequent reservations, accusing the registrar of allowing another applicant to secure Ukombozi-related names while his party was pursuing registration.
He wants the registrar to establish exactly when each disputed application was submitted, received and processed.
He also wants the office to identify those who approved the reservations and explain whether his existing reservation and registration file was considered before other applications were approved.
On Monday, Kalonzo announced that Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition had adopted The Ukombozi Alliance as its new name.
“After today, even this podium will change because the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition has this day, September 21, 2026, unanimously agreed to rebrand and change the name to Ukombozi Alliance,” the Wiper leader said.
In what deepens the intrigues, DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa said the Azimio side had moved to reserve the name before the UDP rebranding plan.
“We made the request to reserve The Ukombozi Alliance, way before the plan to rebrand Jirongo’s party to Ukombozi People’s Party,” Wamalwa said.
On August 10, a formal objection was filed against UDP’s proposed change of name.
In a letter dated September 8, the registrar said the office had not approved or authorised UDP to use Ukombozi People’s Party.
“Reference is made to your letter dated August 10, 2026, objecting to the public notice allegedly issued by the United Democratic Party (UDP) regarding its proposed change of name to Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP),” the letter read.
“Subsequently, this office has not approved or authorised the use of the name ‘Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP)’ by the United Democratic Party (UDP).”
“Further note that the name resembles ‘The Ukombozi Alliance (TUA)’ reserved by a different applicant on July 20, 2026,” the Registrar said.
The decision is viewed as having closed the route Sifuna and Natembeya had been pursuing through Jirongo’s old party.
Contacted for comment on the next steps, Sifuna’s team, led by Osotsi, insisted the setback would not stop Sifuna’s plans.
“The party Sifuna will come up with could be among the parties being mentioned or it could be a completely new party that has not been mentioned anywhere,” Osotsi said.
“Let us allow Sifuna to enjoy his democratic right and tell us which political party he wants to come up with. The party is going to be unveiled in two weeks and I am talking with authority on this.”
Social media strategist Pauline Njoroge also said the identity of the new party would soon be made public.
“Very soon, the party that we have all been waiting for will be unveiled. Sifuna is ahead of things,” Pauline said.
DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala said, “We want Edwin Sifuna to take any party, give it any name. We shall embrace it.”
The fight has echoes of the 2007 struggle over the Orange political identity that pitted the late Raila Odinga and Kalonzo.
The original Orange movement struggled to secure the ODM name after lawyer Mugambi Imanyara registered it as a political party.
The movement operated as ODM-Kenya before differences between Raila and Kalonzo split the project into two parties.
Kalonzo retained ODM-Kenya, while Raila and his allies acquired Imanyara’s ODM registration, allowing the two camps to campaign separately in the 2007 election.
Nearly two decades later, the script appears familiar. Saboti MP Caleb Amisi revived the comparison on Tuesday.
“So the one who ran away with ODM in 2007 orange revolution has now run away with Ukombozi/ Linda Mwananchi parties; wonders will never cease,” Amisi said.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
