Kalonzo: Any Alliance Must Be Founded on Equality, Truth and the Will of the People

By Kepher Otieno - Reporter

Kenya, 17 January 2026 - Wiper Patriotic Front party leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Saturday used a seemingly routine consultative meeting with a delegation from Murang’a County to send some of his strongest political signals yet—aimed squarely at ODM, the Kenya Kwanza administration, and the country’s electoral management body—underscoring that Kenya’s 2027 political battle lines are fast taking shape.

Hosting the delegation at his Kithimani Farm alongside DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, Wiper Secretary General Urbanus Wambua, firebrand lawyer Ndegwa Njiru and other allies, Kalonzo framed the engagement not merely as a regional outreach but as part of a broader national reckoning on leadership, justice, and electoral integrity.

At the heart of his message was a pointed caution to ODM as it accelerates talks on a pre-election coalition.

Without naming individuals, Kalonzo made it clear that coalition-building must be anchored on mutual respect, transparency, and shared democratic values, not political dominance.

“Kenya does not need another coalition where some partners are treated as flower girls,” Kalonzo said.

“Any alliance going forward must be founded on equality, truth and the will of the people—not boardroom deals meant to impose leaders on wananchi.”

The remarks are widely interpreted as both a negotiating position and a warning shot, signalling that Wiper will not be a passive junior partner in any opposition formation. Political analysts note that Kalonzo is deliberately reclaiming his voice after years of being viewed as accommodating, particularly within opposition politics.

Equally striking was his direct appeal to Mt Kenya leaders, whom he urged to resist what he described as intimidation and political persecution by the current regime.

Referencing the growing pressure facing Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, Kalonzo argued that the crackdown on dissenting voices in the region reflects a broader authoritarian drift.

“Leadership is not about fear,” he said.

“Mt Kenya leaders must not be cowed into silence. What we are witnessing is the punishment of independent thinking, and Kenyans must reject it.”

By centring Murang’a in his message, Kalonzo appeared keen to break the long-standing narrative that opposition politics is peripheral to Mt Kenya. Instead, he positioned the region as a critical partner in what he portrayed as a national struggle for democratic space.

Perhaps the most emotionally charged segment of his address concerned the Gen Z protesters who were shot dead during recent demonstrations.

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Kalonzo reaffirmed that their deaths would not be swept under the carpet, naming victims such as Rex Masai and Boniface Kariuki.

“The blood of our young people cries out for justice,” he said.

“We have not forgotten Rex Masai, Boniface Kariuki and the many others who paid the ultimate price for demanding accountability. This country cannot heal until justice is served.”

The statement reinforces Kalonzo’s attempt to align himself with the youth-led protest movement, a constituency increasingly disillusioned with both government and traditional opposition figures.

Serious to the call, and by invoking named victims, he placed moral pressure on the state while positioning the opposition as the custodian of accountability.

The sharpest escalation, however, came with his announcement of plans to mobilise protests against the current Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Kalonzo openly questioned the credibility of the electoral body, calling for the removal of Smartmatic and the immediate exit of IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan.

“We cannot pretend that elections will be free and fair when the referee is compromised,” Kalonzo declared.

“Smartmatic must go, and the current IEBC leadership must be reconstituted if Kenyans are to trust the ballot again.”

This declaration marks a return to street-level pressure politics, reminiscent of past reform movements, and signals that the opposition is preparing for a prolonged confrontation over electoral reforms well ahead of 2027.

Taken together, the Murang’a meeting was less about county grievances and more about national realignment. Kalonzo emerged not as a peripheral opposition figure but as a politician reclaiming agency—challenging ODM’s dominance, courting Mt Kenya, embracing Gen Z grievances, and reopening the IEBC debate.

Whether these moves translate into a formidable political coalition remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Kalonzo Musyoka is no longer whispering from the sidelines. He is setting terms, sharpening his rhetoric, and signalling that the next phase of Kenya’s politics will be louder, more confrontational, and far less predictable.