Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Tuesday announced that the United Opposition will unveil its presidential flagbearer by March 2026, setting the stage for an early showdown with President William Ruto’s administration.
He framed the promised early declaration as a signal of readiness and unity against “an oppressive and morally bankrupt regime.”
“By the first quarter of 2026, the name of a presidential candidate will be made known to Kenyans. I think it's only fair that we work in that direction. And I want to say that I, personally, will do everything possible to hold our team together,” Mr Musyoka told journalists in Nairobi.
“Let me also be abundantly clear. I am running for president of the Republic of Kenya. That's an obvious fact. Because I was given a direct mandate on October 10, 2025, by the National Delegates Congress of the now revamped, re-energised Wiper Patriotic Front,” said Mr Musyoka.
This, even as he dismissed calls for a referendum as a dangerous distraction from Kenya’s immediate crises.
In his end-year state of the nation address, Mr Musyoka said the Opposition is united and expressed confidence in leading the country. He also dismissed Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi's proposal for a referendum.
“The time for polite diplomatic language has passed,” Mr Musyoka said in his address.
“Kenya is hurting and our people are suffering. We must not be distracted by debates over a referendum when our country is bleeding."
He argued that the country’s problems are not rooted in the Constitution but in leadership failure. He accused President William Ruto's administration of “constant lies” and the pursuit of selfish interests and greed, saying Kenyans are paying the price through rising hardship, insecurity and repression.
"Kenyans have suffered under this regime. He is now promising Singapore after failing to deliver on the so-called bottom-up. Ruto is the biggest tragedy in the history of our country," he said.
He described 2025 as “a year of profound loss,” a period that, in his words, laid bare both the fragility of leadership and the high cost paid by citizens who dare to speak out.
He paid brief tribute to leaders and activists who shaped Kenya’s democratic journey, including the late Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, whom he described as “a titan of democracy, a warrior for reform and electoral justice and a relentless voice for the voiceless.” He also remembered other champions of justice and human rights, including Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee , Catherine Nyamato and Professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o among others.
“These giants challenged us to be better, to demand more and never accept oppression as a price of peace," he said, adding that their legacy must be honoured through action, not rhetoric.
