Kalonzo: I am ready to sacrifice my ambitions for opposition unity

Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Saturday said he is ready to sacrifice his presidential ambitions for the sake of unity in the opposition.

Mr Musyoka said the selection of a single opposition presidential candidate was a responsibility shared by all leaders, adding that it was the only way “to liberate the nation from President William Ruto’s bad leadership”.

“Those saying that ‘if Kalonzo is not the one to be chosen as the flag bearer will leave opposition’ are naysayers and are not speaking on my behalf,” he said.

Mr Musyoka recalled that when he ran for President in 2007 and the election was disputed, the country was plunged into post-election violence. The violence left more than 1,000 people dead, while more than 600,000 were displaced.

He said the lessons he learnt after the disputed poll informed his decision to support the late Raila Odinga on three occasions: in 2013 and 2017, when he was Mr Odinga’s running mate, and in 2022, when Mr Odinga was deputised by Martha Karua.

“Those saying I will leave are people devoid of conviction. This is a matter of liberating the country and if we don’t do it in 2027, it will never happen again. If I am the one to stand between this unity, I had rather go home,” Mr Musyoka said, adding: “If it is not me and I am guaranteed we will not give Ruto a second term, I am ready to sacrifice because I have done it before.”

He spoke at Ngage, Naromoru, in Nyeri County, during the burial of Eunice Nyangari Gachagua, the elder sister of Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua, where opposition unity talks dominated the proceedings.

Other leaders present included Linda Mwananchi Movement leader Edwin Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Eugene Wamalwa, David Maraga, Cleophas Malala, Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, Senators Karungo wa Thang’wa (Kiambu) and John Kinyua (Laikipia), and Nyali MP Mohamed Ali, among other leaders.

Mr Gachagua told Kenyans not to worry about opposition unity, saying they would select one of their own to lead them and adding that “the people of Kenya have decided”.

“The 2027 election will be liberation, just like the Mau Mau movement. The Mau Mau went to the forest to fight the colonialist and liberated the country. But for us, we will not take arms and go to the forest. Our weapon is our vote,” he said.

Mr Sifuna said that since Kenyans had decided they wanted Dr Ruto out of power, the opposition would unite and liberate the country.

“Some people thought that Gachagua and I could sit on a negotiating table but when I realized that it was the only way out, we decided to forgive each other and go on. I will come back and seek the support of the mountain so that we save this country,” Mr Sifuna said.

The Linda Mwananchi Movement leader said the outfit is getting mass popularity across the country.

“We can feel the weight of expectation that the country has placed on our shoulders, and I want to assure you that we feel that pressure. And so you know that we feel that pressure, we have committed to standing together. . . Some people laughed at us and said there was no way we could build a party in nine months. We did it. Now the whole country is singing ‘I am Sifuna’, in all villages. They are opening party offices everywhere and we have not sent any money to them; just out of the love for what we are doing,” Mr Sifuna said.

Mr Gachagua promised that his party would hold free and credible nominations.

“The primaries will be free and fair because I know they will mean a lot for my party and I will not meddle with them. Even my niece is vying but I can’t help her; she will have to fight it out with the other aspirants,” he said.

Mr Orengo said that, contrary to reports that Mr Gachagua was the one dividing the opposition, he was the “glue” holding the team together.

The leaders also dismissed the recent TIFA opinion polls, in which Mr Sifuna and President Ruto tied at 31 per cent in popularity.

Mr Wamalwa recalled that in 2002, when unity talks between Mwai Kibaki and Kijana Wamalwa hit a deadlock, it was because of their supporters, who, just as in the current situation, were undermining the unity of their principals.

Ms Nyangari was eulogised as having had the gift of uniting her the family “and creating cherished memories through her laughter, stories, prayers and words of wisdom.”

“Above all, she taught them the importance of humility, hard work, respect, love and family unity. These were not merely lessons spoken; they were values demonstrated through the way she lived. They remain her enduring gift to the generations she leaves behind,” the eulogy read.

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