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United Opposition leaders during a church service at Around the Globe Deliverance Ministries in Kamulu along Kangundo road on June 5, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]
The internal contradictions within Kenya’s united opposition spilled into the public square last week, exposing a coalition held together more by a common opponent than a shared governing vision. Within days, DP leader Justin Muturi endorsed Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka while sharing a platform with Jubilee presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i.
PLP leader Martha Karua said there was no agreed formula for selecting a flagbearer, while former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua argued the coalition should wait until closer to the election before naming its candidate. Muturi instead called for an early decision. What should have projected unity instead exposed competing ambitions within the coalition.
Many Kenyans have interpreted these developments as evidence that the opposition may struggle to remain united long enough to mount a credible challenge against President William Ruto in 2027. Yet, perhaps we are asking the wrong question. The more important question is why choosing one presidential flagbearer becomes such a make-or-break political battle. The answer lies less in the personalities involved than in the architecture of Kenya’s political system.
