We will agree: Eugene Wamalwa reveals the fate of opposition presidential hopefuls
By Francis Muli, June 21, 2026Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has reiterated his intention to run for president in the 2027 General Election, while expressing confidence that opposition leaders seeking the country’s top seat will eventually agree on a single flagbearer.
Speaking during a televised interview on Sunday, June 21, 2026, Wamalwa said he had already received clearance from his party to seek the presidency and was among six opposition leaders currently positioning themselves for the race.
“I am running for president; it is not my first time. We are now ready. As the party leader of DAP-K, I have already been cleared to run. In our coalition, I have five other colleagues who have been cleared, including Kalonzo, Gachagua, Martha Karua, Matiang’i, and JB Muturi. We are the six of us, but we all know that we can’t all be the sixth. We will agree,” Wamalwa said.
“We all qualify to occupy that office, but we cannot all do it at the same time. Whoever we agree on will only be the first amongst equals, and we will all unite behind that candidate. All for one and one for all, that is the musketeer spirit that made us succeed in the NARC movement of 2002, and that is the path we want to follow.”
Wamalwa also dismissed assertions that the opposition is afraid of revealing its flagbearer, urging their supporters to remain calm and be patient.
“We know that our colleagues on the other side are very frustrated, and they are saying why can’t they reveal their candidate. If you do it prematurely, it can be counterproductive. Kibaki was picked a few months before the elections. We are working on it. We are asking Kenyans to be patient, but we are also assuring them that we know what is at stake. We will not let them down,” he said.
He promised that the opposition will remain united beyond August 2027.
“We have all agreed that we must stay united until the 10th of August 2027 and beyond. We must be united behind one candidate. We all belong to the one term movement, and for the one term movement to succeed, we must adopt the all hands and deck approach and gather all and scatter none principle,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing debate within the opposition coalition over who will challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 election.
The opposition alliance has brought together several heavyweight politicians, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, and former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi. The leaders have been conducting joint political activities across the country while seeking to consolidate support against the Kenya Kwanza administration.
However, the question of who will carry the coalition’s presidential flag has increasingly emerged as a potential fault line.
Earlier this month, Karua and Matiang’i publicly backed the use of opinion polls and other scientific methods to determine the coalition’s presidential candidate, arguing that a transparent process would help avoid internal disputes and strengthen the alliance ahead of the election.
Kalonzo Musyoka, who has previously contested the presidency, has also unveiled his own presidential platform, describing it as part of preparations for a possible 2027 bid while insisting that opposition leaders remain united despite pursuing individual political programmes.
Wamalwa’s declaration underscores the delicate balancing act facing the opposition as multiple principals seek the same position while attempting to maintain a united front.
Political analysts have pointed to Kenya’s history of opposition coalitions fracturing over leadership contests, making the selection of a single candidate one of the most critical decisions facing the alliance.
Despite the competition, Wamalwa maintained that coalition leaders understand the importance of compromise.