The Kalonzo 2027 election hurdles

The next General Election will be the defining moment for Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka. Initially assured of the backing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in his second stab at the presidency, Kalonzo was confident that come 2027, he would trounce President William Ruto.

The dynamics have however since shifted following Raila’s ‘handshake’ with Ruto, upsetting the initial arithmetic and forcing Kalonzo to look elsewhere for support.  

According to his supporters, the former vice-president has been burning the midnight oil to reach out to new political constituencies. Makueni senator Daniel Maanzo, speaking on phone to the People Daily, revealed that their brigade has been mobilising their people to register as voters now and not to wait until months to the 2027 general election.

Maanzo further disclosed that they will start door-to-door campaigns to have youths and Gen Zs get identity cards and register as voters.

 “Chances are that in future (President William) Ruto will make it hard for Kenyans especially from regions like Mount Kenya which he knows is no longer backing him to get identity cards to enable them register as voters, we know that for sure and we have a solid plan to counter it,” he stated.

The senator disclosed that when Rigathi Gachagua was pushing Kalonzo to garner at least 3.5 million votes from the community, the former Deputy President knows that those numbers, combined with votes from other regions across the country, are sufficient to enable the duo to cross the 50 per cent plus one vote needed to win.

Maanzo was referring to Gachagua’s gauntlet that Kalonzo mobilises between 3.5 million and four million votes before considering an alliance with the Mt. Kenya region.  Speaking in Makueni county on Wednesday, Gachagua issued an ultimatum to Kalonzo to mobilise from his strongholds in order to form a political alliance.

“Do not wait until the last minute. Register enough votes. Look for me once you register 3.5 million to 4 million votes. As the Mt Kenya region, we have set out to register 10 million votes,” Gachagua said amid growing pressure from his allies to support Kalonzo’s presidential ambition.

As if all too aware of the gigantic task ahead of him, Kalonzo had appeared to reach out to one political constituency that transcends the traditional voting blocs built around communities, the Gen Z bloc.

Speaking in Machakos county last Saturday, Kalonzo appeared to deliberately target the Gen Z vote, asking young people to register in their millions in order to make their voice heard “loud and clear.”

His choice of venue, a youth football tournament final in Machakos town, Kalonzo lamented that the government was not keen on empowering youth.

Political vehicle

Accusing President Ruto of misrule, Kalonzo expressed confidence that the youth vote will be sufficient to send the Kenya Kwanza regime home in the next election.

“Instead of focusing on youth empowerment, ‘Zakayo’ is focused on vaccinating cows. At this rate, (President) Ruto will have to go home,” said Kalonzo to deafening applause from the football fans who had thronged the Kenyatta Stadium.

Zakayo, based on the biblical Zacchaeus, is a moniker used to refer to Ruto’s unpopular taxes.

Maanzo was last month quoted saying that the new political vehicle would be in place by this month. He said the coalition will have the who’s-who in the country’s political landscape on board.

 “We are working on the new coalition and looking for the new partners, the coalition should be in place by Christmas. We are first making sure we have as many like-minded parties as possible,” Maanzo was quoted.

In this new challenge, Kalonzo will have to contend with serious opposition, both from within and outside his Kamba enclave as demonstrated on Thursday when a section of the Mt Kenya leadership vowed to derail his looming alliance. Nyeri senator Wahome Wamatinga, a sworn Gachagua foe, dismissed claims that Mt Kenya region owes any political debt to Kalonzo, stating that no such agreement exists.

“If former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua feels the need to pursue a personal political alliance with Kalonzo, that is his constitutional right. However, as a community, we will not be sold elsewhere,” Wamatinga said, adding that the region fought hard to form the current government.

With that, Kalonzo has his work cut out.