Constitutional lawyer and political commentator Ndegwa Njiru has argued that Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka’s long political partnership with the late Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga could become part of the political conversation ahead of the 2027 General Election.

In a post shared on X on Saturday, June 27, 2026, Njiru said Kalonzo had remained loyal to Raila for about 15 years despite political setbacks, including not being selected as Raila’s running mate in the 2022 General Election.

Lawyer Ndengwa Njiru’s remarks

In his message, Njiru wrote:

“For 15 good years, His Excellency Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka remained loyal to His Excellency Raila Odinga.

“At no point did Kalonzo betray him, even when he was overlooked as the preferred running mate in the 2022 General Election. He stood by him with unwavering loyalty.”

Njiru argued that Kalonzo’s long-standing political loyalty to Raila should be recognised by Raila’s political support base, saying the Wiper leader had remained committed throughout several election cycles.

He concluded:

“Loyalty should be remembered and rewarded, not forgotten. If Kalonzo stood firm through every political season, why abandon him in favour of Kasongo?”

Njiru did not cite polling data or other evidence to support his assessment, which reflects his personal political opinion on the evolving political landscape ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Raila and Kalonzo’s political partnership

Njiru’s remarks are based on one of Kenya’s longest-running political alliances.

Raila and Kalonzo first contested together under the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) during the 2013 General Election.

According to the official presidential results, the Raila-Kalonzo ticket received 5,340,546 votes (43.7 per cent), while the Jubilee Alliance ticket of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto secured 6,173,433 votes (50.51 per cent).

The two leaders maintained their political partnership in the 2017 General Election under the National Super Alliance (NASA), with Kalonzo again serving as Raila’s running mate.

Raila received approximately 6.78 million votes, representing about 44.9 per cent of the national vote before the presidential election was nullified by the Supreme Court, leading to a fresh election.

In the 2022 General Election, Raila selected Martha Karua as his running mate under the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition.

Although Kalonzo was not on the presidential ticket, he remained one of the coalition’s principal leaders and campaigned for the alliance during the election period.

The election resulted in Raila receiving 6,942,930 votes (48.85 per cent), while President William Ruto was declared the winner with 7,176,141 votes (50.49 per cent).

Kalonzo on supporting Raila

Kalonzo has on several occasions spoken publicly about supporting Raila in successive presidential elections.

In March 2022, during negotiations within Azimio, he addressed criticism that he had repeatedly backed Raila without eventually becoming president.

“As we begin the fresh round of political negotiation in our country, I have been compelled to release this document due to the often said statement that I am an indecisive kingmaker and that I would be a fool a third time to support Odinga,” Kalonzo said.

He nevertheless proceeded to campaign for the Raila-Karua ticket during the 2022 General Election.

Months after the election, Kalonzo reflected on the experience.

“The fool in me ended up supporting Raila for the third time, but that fool is wiser now than he was then. I am no fool.

It took some painful introspection, and I brought it out before I had to sit with my brother Raila to show him in black and white what we had agreed in writing.”

He added:

“I brought it out of the chest, and from that time, I said I am ready to support Raila. It was the right thing to do, and I’m no fool and will never be.”

Looking ahead to 2027

Njiru’s remarks come as political leaders continue positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Kalonzo widely regarded as one of the key figures expected to play a significant role in opposition politics.

Kalonzo has already launched the Komboa Kenya platform, which he plans to use to mobilise resources and support ahead of the 2027 poll.

While Njiru believes Kalonzo’s record of political loyalty could feature in public and political discussions, there is no publicly available evidence that voters have collectively adopted that view or that it will influence electoral outcomes.

As with previous elections, alliances, endorsements, campaign issues and voter preferences are expected to evolve before Kenyans cast their ballots.

Ultimately, voting decisions remain individual choices made by citizens based on the candidates, policies and circumstances at the time of the election.