Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has subtly suggested that Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka should consider leaving the opposition and joining the Kenya Kwanza government, amid mounting speculation over who will emerge as the main challenger to President William Ruto in the next election.
Speaking during a Sunday service at AIC Milimani, Murkomen appeared to recognize Kalonzo as the leading figure in the opposition camp but at the same time extended an invitation for unity under Ruto’s leadership.
He pointed to Kalonzo’s close ties with the AIC church, which is also associated with President Ruto, as a reason the two leaders should work together.
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“William Ruto will be running in the elections and is from the AIC church. And the person leading the opposition is from the AIC church. So if you have the capacity, bring us together. So we can work as one,” Murkomen said.
His remarks come at a time when Kalonzo has firmly maintained that he will not collaborate with the current administration, describing it as “blood-based.”
Earlier this month, on September 7, Kalonzo warned other opposition leaders against straying from their shared agenda, underscoring his commitment to keeping the coalition intact.
Meanwhile, allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have accused the government of trying to weaken the opposition by luring Kalonzo.
Through its official platform, Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) claimed President Ruto’s team was using “men of cloth, local politicians, medicine men and rainmakers” to woo the Wiper boss, a strategy they described as a sign of panic.
The DCP further noted that Ruto’s 2022 victory over Raila Odinga was by a narrow margin of about 200,000 votes, arguing that the president’s camp remains unsettled by the opposition’s potential unity.
Although Gachagua has presented himself as the natural challenger to Ruto, other voices within the opposition have stressed the need for consensus.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya recently acknowledged that the united opposition is yet to agree on a single flagbearer, but confirmed that a special committee has already narrowed the list of possible candidates to four names ahead of an official announcement.