There’s a growing sense in Kenya that the regime is failing. It’s failing to deliver, failing to inspire, failing to stop abductions, failing to win back the trust of Gen Zs and failing to communicate.

But there’s also a dangerous illusion taking shape, that “Wamunyoro” is the only viable alternative.

That he, with his raw populism, unapologetic tribal bravado, and relentless attacks on the President, can somehow carry the torch of the disillusioned.

But let us be honest, Wamunyoro is not the answer. And if he continues to posture as the only alternative, this regime might win a second term not by merit but by default.

You see, Wamunyoro has mastered the art of hitting where it hurts, and he enjoys listening to his jabs at the regime.

He speaks with the comic bitterness of a man who walked the treacherous political path alongside President William Ruto during the Kenyatta-era exclusion.

His jabs, though sometimes crude and below the belt, land hard because they come from a man once considered a “co-victim”.

That gives him legitimacy. That gives his words weight. And in a nation fuelled by frustration and disillusionment, that kind of emotional capital is potent. But while Wamunyoro has guts and gull, he lacks coherence and direction.

His brazen, sometimes primitive attacks may resonate with those hungry for rebellion, but he is yet to present a clear vision beyond rage.

Saying they will sit together as opposition leaders and decide who will bear the flag is nothing more than ringing a bell that nothing much will come out of it if it is not him. That brand of calculated ambiguity cannot galvanise a country desperate for clarity.

No Kenyan wants to bounce from WSR to a poor man’s WSR in Wamunyoro. Unless Wamunyoro changes his tune, makes it explicit that he is not the alternative, but merely the kingmaker.

That he is here to dethrone WSR and hand the reins to a principled leader among the loyal opposition, his noise will only strengthen the regime he seeks to oppose.

History teaches us this lesson clearly. In 2022, Ruto declared early that he was a man on a mission. He painted Raila Odinga as the face of dynastic betrayal and himself as the hustler of the people. Whether or not this was entirely accurate is beside the point, it worked.

Raila’s almost inevitable win went up in smoke, not just because of strategy and turnout, but because Ruto seized the narrative early, defined the terms of the race, and captured the imagination of a disillusioned electorate.

The same playbook now stares the opposition in the face. If Wamunyoro’s loyal opposition were to step forward with a united front, with Wamunyoro as kingmaker, not king, the political conversation would shift dramatically. His destructive attacks on the regime would then pave the way.

The ground is fertile and the weary nation is watching.

Everywhere you go, in matatus, barazas, campuses, and kitchens, you hear the same sentiment: “We are tired”.

Tired of the lies. Tired of the excuses. Tired of the brutality. They are waiting for a glimmer of hope, a signal that the current regime is not invincible and that there is a viable strong alternative outside Wamunyoro.

The writer is a media studies researcher