KALONZO SIDELINED ? OPTS EXIT AMID LMM LAUNCH HECKLING

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has appeared increasingly uncomfortable within the united opposition after facing hostile reception at the launch of the Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) secretariat in Nairobi, where supporters of Senator Edwin Sifuna repeatedly interrupted his address with chants demanding the senator's elevation to the presidency.

The incident, which unfolded on Friday, October 30, at the movement's headquarters along Jipe Avenue in Lavington, exposed growing divisions over who should lead the opposition's presidential campaign against President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.

Kalonzo, who was among several opposition leaders invited to the event, faced repeated chants of "Sifuna! Sifuna! Sifuna!" as he attempted to address the gathering, with sections of the audience appearing dissatisfied with his reluctance to immediately endorse the Nairobi senator.

Tensions escalated after DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa referred to Sifuna as a presidential candidate, prompting Kalonzo to challenge the declaration and insist that the opposition should respect established party procedures.

"Eugene has jumped the gun. He has declared you a presidential candidate. But let me tell you legally because you are a lawyer. You have to wait for the 13th of November \[the National Delegates Conference\]. For now, he is still a party leader," Kalonzo said.

He further reminded the gathering that Wiper delegates had already given him the mandate to pursue the presidency during a party conference held on October 10, 2025.

"I want my younger brother to follow the proper procedure. So be patient," he added.

His remarks, however, were met with persistent interruptions, forcing the visibly frustrated politician to question whether the audience wanted him to continue speaking.

"Do you want me to speak? Or should I leave?" he posed.

At one point, Kalonzo suggested that if Sifuna's supporters wanted him to support the senator's presidential ambitions, they needed to approach the matter differently.

"Do you want me to support Sifuna? If you want me to rally behind him, then you should court me. Don't you know how to court someone? There is a better way of doing it; we must behave differently," he told the crowd.

Despite briefly restoring order, the interruptions continued, eventually prompting Kalonzo to abandon his address and return to his seat before completing his speech.

Sifuna was forced to intervene, urging his supporters to respect the leaders who had attended the function and allow Kalonzo to address them without disruptions.

"This is not a way to treat our guests. Just let us listen to them. We have been honored by their presence. Let him finish, please," Sifuna told the crowd.

The Nairobi senator subsequently called for patience, maintaining that opposition leaders would eventually agree on a single presidential candidate to challenge Ruto.

Despite the uncomfortable reception, Kalonzo later made it clear that he was not opposed to supporting Sifuna if the opposition settled on another candidate.

"Sifuna, I will stand with you if I am not the candidate," he declared, acknowledging the senator's potential political future.

He also remarked that Sifuna could eventually become Kenya's sixth president, while maintaining that the process of selecting the opposition flagbearer must be conducted properly.

"Mnitongoze vizuri ili niunge mkono Sifuna 2027," he said, loosely translated as, "Woo me properly so that I can support Sifuna in 2027."

The developments have intensified questions about Kalonzo's position within the opposition, particularly as influential leaders increasingly appear willing to consider Sifuna as a possible alternative for the top seat.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who attended the launch, had previously expressed willingness to support Sifuna's presidential bid should opposition leaders settle on him as their preferred candidate. Wamalwa's public description of the senator as a presidential contender also added to the impression that sections of the opposition are increasingly warming up to his potential candidature.

The growing attention around Sifuna has placed Kalonzo in a difficult political position, having previously sought the presidency but repeatedly stepped aside in favour of coalition arrangements.

In 2007, Kalonzo contested the presidency independently under ODM-Kenya before later joining Mwai Kibaki's government as Vice President. He subsequently served as Raila Odinga's running mate in the 2013 and 2017 elections under CORD and NASA, respectively.

In 2022, he again abandoned his presidential ambitions to support Raila's Azimio la Umoja coalition ticket following intense negotiations within the opposition.

Since leaving government in 2013, Kalonzo has remained outside the executive, a situation that has increasingly featured in arguments by his political rivals, particularly those seeking to persuade the Ukambani electorate that continued opposition politics has limited the region's access to government opportunities.

The latest tensions have also attracted commentary from Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka, popularly known as Kawaya, who warned that Kalonzo was being deliberately kept waiting by opposition leaders who might eventually deny him the presidential ticket.

Speaking in Machakos County, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Organising Secretary argued that the opposition had no genuine intention of backing Kalonzo's presidential ambitions.

"Kalonzo is being delayed. They will keep delaying him until the last minute, then they will sideline him," Kawaya said.

He urged the Wiper leader and other Ukambani politicians to reconsider their continued opposition politics and join President Ruto's administration, arguing that the region had spent enough time outside government.

Kawaya also invoked the political relationship between Raila Odinga and successive administrations, arguing that the former Prime Minister understood when to challenge the government and when to cooperate with it to secure development opportunities for his political support base.

Meanwhile, President Ruto has intensified his attempts to draw Kalonzo closer to his administration, recently using a development tour of Ukambani to appeal directly to the Wiper leader.

Recalling their political association during the YK92 movement in 1992, Ruto asked Kalonzo to reciprocate the support he claimed to have offered him during his early political campaigns.

"Deliver my greetings to Mr. Musyoka and remind him that when I was a member of YK92 in 1992, I came to Tseikuru to campaign for Kalonzo’s re-election. He should return the favor by supporting my re-election bid," Ruto said.

The President also directed government contractors to work on the road leading towards Kalonzo's rural home, a move that further fuelled political discussion about his efforts to win over the Ukambani political establishment.

Ruto has additionally questioned why Kalonzo should subject himself to another round of opposition coalition negotiations, recalling the selection process that preceded the 2022 elections.

"The same people who organized the interview in 2022 are planning another one soon. They took Kalonzo to an interview... 'Say your name, Kalonzo Musyoka. Do you have an ID card? What did you study?' Don't you see that as disrespect? Instead of Kalonzo going for another interview, he should join me."

However, Wiper has previously dismissed suggestions that its leader was negotiating a deal to join the government, maintaining that the party remains firmly committed to the united opposition.

The latest confrontation at the LMM launch therefore adds another layer to the increasingly complicated opposition succession debate, with Kalonzo seeking recognition of his presidential ambitions while Sifuna continues to attract growing support from sections of the opposition.