The United Opposition leaders on Saturday alleged that President William Ruto had planted moles within their ranks, but vowed to remain united, saying such plans will not succeed
The team also accused the Head of State of systematically working to weaken and eventually dismantle the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Former deputy Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Democratic Party boss Justin Muturi and his Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) counterpart Eugene Wamalwa asked Kenyans to prepare for a new government come August 2027.
"We have seen President working around the clock to divide his opponents to his advantage but we are warning him to prepare for a duel in August next year," said Mr Musyoka.
The leaders also blasted the top leadership of the Orange outfit for failing to defend the principles and values of the two-decade-old party, maintaining that the late former party leader Raila Odinga would not have submitted to the current plans to “auction” the party.
The leaders held stopovers in different streets of Mombasa before holding a public rally at Tononoka Grounds.
“President Ruto is determined to obliterate any member of ODM, and I can tell you I understand the mind of our late brother Odinga. It is very unfortunate that some sections of that party have agreed to be completely decimated, but the opposition is coming stronger than ever,” said Mr Musyoka.
The opposition leaders, who kicked off their tour of Mombasa County on Friday, took issue with the ongoing pre-election coalition talks between the ruling UDA and the ODM party.
They claim the political deal is now a threat to ODM’s strongholds, which they say have been left vulnerable and exposed to a hostile takeover by UDA.
According to Mr Gachagua, Dr Ruto has no backing in the Mt Kenya region, hence the reason he is working tirelessly to infiltrate and raid ODM grassroots strongholds. He claims the recent visit by the Head of State to the region was a clear indication of how the government is desperate to woo Mt Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua salutes during a political rally at Mwingi Town in Kitui County on April 22, 2026.
Photo credit: Pius Maundu | Nation
The DCP leader alleged that the Kenya Kwanza administration is broke and is now using development projects for campaigns.
Mr Gachagua claims President Ruto is traversing the country commissioning projects that do not have budgetary allocations, risking plunging the country into a deeper financial crisis by committing funds not factored in by the National Treasury, while accusing the National Assembly of succumbing to state capture.
“Launching projects that are not budgeted for is an insult to the people of Kenya. Yesterday he went to Murang’a and by the time he arrived in Nairobi, the tractors had already left, and that is his modus operandi,” said Mr Gachagua.
The former deputy president raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding the death of Raila Odinga, which occurred in October 2025.
"There are many pending questions regarding the death of Mr Odinga including the lack of a postmortem, a rapid 72-hour burial, and allegations of a "forced" trip to India. As leaders, we want this to end through a public inquest," said Mr Gachagua.
“There is no day the people of the Coast have been left behind, not before and not now. We are going to walk with you to the end until we get there,” said Mr Wamalwa.
The leaders also warned against the use of goons at their meetings, calling on residents to reject any attempts by their opponents to wreak havoc, while also appealing to security officers to remain true to their call of duty.
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali, who was unveiled as Wiper’s Mombasa gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 General Election, said some of the roads leading to the island city had been barricaded in attempts to block them from holding a rally at Tononoka grounds.
“We are here in Mombasa. We will begin at Kongowea, Kengeleni, before proceeding to Mwembe Tayari, where we are told some roads have already been closed,” said Mr Ali.
Mr Muturi raised alarm over what he described as a looming electoral crisis, warning that Kenya risks slipping into uncertainty if urgent steps are not taken to replace the election technology system ahead of the expiry of the current contract.
The former Attorney General faulted the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for what he termed as silence and inaction, noting that only 28 days remain before the expiry of the contract awarded to Smartmatic, the firm that supplied and managed the technology used during the 2022 General Election.
“Allowing such a critical system to lapse without a clear plan is both reckless and unacceptable,” he added.
Drawing from Kenya’s past electoral cycles, Mr Muturi noted that procurement of election technology has often been marred by protracted court battles, sometimes delaying preparedness and eroding confidence in the process.
In a media statement issued under the United Alternative Government, Mr Muturi warned of an imminent risk to by-elections, saying they could face suspension if the country lacks a valid, contracted, tested and certified electoral system.
He cautioned that any election conducted without a legally compliant technological framework would be highly susceptible to court challenges and possible nullification.
“Rather than proceed with flawed systems, the commission may be forced to delay elections altogether until new technology is procured, deployed and audited,” he said.
Mr Muturi said the 28-day window should be treated as an alarm bell, cautioning that failure to act decisively could plunge the country into a period where even by-elections cannot be conducted lawfully or credibly.
“We cannot gamble with democracy. We cannot normalise last-minute crisis management in matters of such national importance. The IEBC must act, and it must act now,” he said.
He urged political parties, civil society and the public to remain vigilant and demand accountability, insisting that Kenya’s democratic future depends not on assurances, but on concrete preparation as the countdown to the expiry of the Smartmatic contract continues.
-Reporting by Kevin Mutai, Brian Ocharo and Anthony Kitimo
