By: CORRESPONDENT 2 min read
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 18 — Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa says the Kalonzo Musyoka-led Komboa Kenya alliance will begin talks next week with key opposition figures on a unified presidential ticket to challenge President William Ruto in 2027.
Speaking on Sunday at Priesthood Fellowship Church in Kahawa West, Nairobi, Wamalwa said the opposition was seeking to unite different political formations behind a single candidate to avoid splitting votes in next year’s General Election.
“This week and next month, we are asking those others in Linda Mwananchi, including Sifuna and Orengo, to come together with us so that we get one candidate,” Wamalwa said.
Wamalwa said the talks will include former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s camp and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement
He described the opposition as an alternative government, expressing optimism that political unity could deliver change within the next 10 months.
“But hope is the way. In the next 10 months, we will bring changes,” he said.
Wamalwa urged religious leaders and Kenyans to pray for unity and a peaceful electoral process, warning against divisions and violence as political parties position themselves for the polls.
With fewer than 300 days remaining before the 2027 General Election, he said the country needed a credible, peaceful and violence-free contest that would safeguard national cohesion and democratic principles.
The push for a joint presidential candidate comes amid consultations among opposition leaders seeking to build a common platform against Ruto’s re-election bid.
Wamalwa also called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to make the existing voters’ register available to political parties ahead of a planned mass voter registration exercise.
“Next month, IEBC, we are going for the final mass voter registration. We want the register by now, already registered members be availed to all of us,” he said.
He said access to the register would allow parties to scrutinise voter records and raise concerns over possible irregularities, including alleged registration of foreigners as voters.
The DAP-K leader further cited the rising cost of living, pointing to increases in fuel prices and the cost of basic commodities, including milk, as issues likely to shape the opposition’s engagement with voters ahead of the 2027 elections.