By Anderson Ojwang’
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is preparing to make a second stab at the presidency in the 2027 general elections and is rolling out an elaborate strategy to propel him to Statehouse.
Kalonzo has shifted his focus from the Lake and is now eying the Mountain, which he claims are yet to settle his political debts they owe to him, when the community was faced by crisis.
His debts are arising from his support for President Mwai Kibaki during the 2007 controversial Presidential election and his recent support to the impeached deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Among the strategies Kalonzo is instituting include rebranding of his Wiper Democratic Party to appeal the new vote block, association and identification with Mt Kenya by recreating GEMA alliance, possible alliance with Gachugua and holding political rallies across the country.
Equally, Kalonzo has come to term with the absence of Forner Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who left Azimio La Umoja to join President Willliam Ruto Kenya Kwanza Government. Kalonzo is now ready to walk away from Raila’s shadows to chart his own political destination.
Similarly, Kalonzo also feel let down by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga for abandoning the opposition to join President William Ruto.
In his pursuit of the Mt Kenya, Kalonzo is hoping that the emergence of Gachagua as the defacto leader of Mt Kenya could earn him the region votes and propel him to presidency as it did to Ruto in the 2022 presidential election.
And picking cue from Gachagua over recreation of GEMA, Kalonzo during a TV interview has declared that the Gema unity that brought Kamba, the Gikuyu, Meru and Embu together during pre- and post-independence is back and roaring.
Speaking during a TV morning breakfast show, Kalonzo said even if Raila returned to the opposition fold, he will not play a leading role in the group’s unity and agenda.
Kalonzo said” As we speak the original Gema, now is not Gikuyu, Embu, Meru but now it is inclusive of their cousins in the Southern region of the Mountain.
It is back the same away, when it was during the president Jomo Kenyatta and Paul Ngei before they later fell out.
The elders have met led by Bishop Lawi Mathews, Bishop Peter Njenga, Canon Karanja who is Executive Director of Gema.
The consultations have been undertaken, and they have arrived at proclamation.
Currently, they are speaking with their cousins of Mijikenda, Kissi and now Bukusu.
The numbers are exciting if you look at it.
If you look at the arithmetic, when Kibaki and I united together in 2007, we had the numbers and, I remember that those who united against Mt Kenya has re-united once again.’”
Gachagua while speaking in Seikuru village in Ukambani of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and in Voi said “ I have been sent by the people of Mt Kenya to come and to look for our cousins. Cousins are you there?
We, Mt Kenya with the Kambas, Taita’s ,MijiKenda, Taveta, we are one family, we are cousins.
I want to tell you, I heard some people complaining that I am forming a political alliance with Kalonzo, why do you want to get involved in family affairs?
If someone has spoken to his cousin, is there any problem? You can also speak to your cousin.
You, Willam Ruto keep of family matters. Don’t get into our family affairs. Let me ask, should cousins stay together or not? Should the cousins walk together or not?”
Kalonzo said his supporters contributed to Raila’s significant performance in the last three presidential elections and his candidature will stir a new political dispensation and that the voter turnout would be huge.
“We are now reconstituting the opposition because Azimio is dead, the moment Raila joined Ruto’s government. it is open secret that Raila has betrayed me.
As a general you cannot leave your team to climb on the top of the tree while they remain stranded below the tree.
During the anti-financial bill in 2024, I went to Homa Bay and Nyanza, I asked the people if Zakayo has refused to climb down from the tree.
Do we cut the tree, and they responded in unison, cut the tree.
I thought my friend Raila could take heed from the public.
I want to make it clear, that Kenyans least expected that betrayal from Raila Odinga.
I have supported Raila on three occasions and people are asking what type of a person is Kalonzo.
Some people are thinking that Kalonzo can be hoodwinked by Raila to join Ruto.
Let them forget about that.
I will be where the people are, and I have realized that this is the best way to do it.
I have been called several names, those who nicknamed me such names have come to possess the names,” he said.
He said the opposition team was ready to face off with the president Ruto and that should Raila join them he wouldn’t be in the forefront.
“We already have some many people, It is possible he may come but let him go at the back end. We have planned ourselves.
We have Rigathi Gachagua, Fred Matiangi, Eugene Wamalwa, Martha Karua, JB Muturi and Mukhisa Kituyi,” he said.
In a gazette Notice dated 18th June 2025 by the Registrar of Political Parties, Ann Ndungu captioned Change of political party name she wrote:
“In exercise of the power conferred by section 20 (1) (d) of the political parties Act, the Registrar of political parties gives notice that Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) intends to change its party name to Wiper Patriotic Front (WPF).
Any person with written submission concerning the intended change by the political party shall within seven days from the date of this publication deposit them with the Registrar of political patties.”
Kalonzo during the interview maintained that he was the most suitable candidate and appealed to his colleagues to support his bid.
He declined to commit whether he would support another presidential candidate should the opposition team fail to endorse his candidature.
EDITED BY: HOPE BARBRA
