From left: DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and PLP leader Martha Karua, alongside other United Opposition leaders head to Vigilance House in Nairobi on January 30, 2026.
New points of conflict continue to emerge in the United Opposition, threatening its core agenda of achieving cohesion and strength capable of defeating President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
The outfit includes Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper Patriotic Front, Rigathi Gachagua of Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), Jubilee Party’s Dr Fred Matiang’i, Democratic Party’s Justin Muturi, People’s Liberation Party boss Martha Karua, DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.
Some of the in-house differences are repeatedly filtering into the public arena, portraying the outfit as one struggling to inculcate mutual trust, which is a critical ingredient for its cause.
More concerning is that the conflicts appear centred on the outfit’s key actors, including former president Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr Gachagua, Dr Matiang’i, Ms Karua and Mr Musyoka.
Jubilee Party leader and retired President Uhuru Kenyatta during a past Jubilee National Delegates Conference.
Mr Wamalwa, who appears keen to keep off bringing his issues to the public domain, faces a Mr Natembeya threat, with the governor having earlier threatened him with a coup in the DAP-K leadership.
While the timing of naming their presidential flag bearer and the formula to be used in identifying him or her have been the two major points of conflict, seven others have emerged.
Mr Musyoka has been insisting that the joint presidential candidate be named before the end of March 2026, but Mr Gachagua says the task be left to the final two months preceding next year’s general election.
Gachagua's unnecessary comments
“That is Kalonzo’s opinion that we name the candidate in March. But that, according to my own opinion, would be catastrophic. We would be safer postponing the task to the tail-end processes to escape the incumbent’s fightback plan that might collapse our candidate and plans,” said Mr Gachagua in his February 1, 2026 interview on Inooro TV.
In an earlier interview with KTN, Mr Gachagua also exposed the fact that the formula for choosing such a flag bearer is also contentious.
“I believe I am the best suited to fly the United Opposition flag because I have the numbers, can mobilise, have a war chest and I am familiar with the incumbent, who is the common enemy,” Mr Gachagua had said.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua addresses mourners during the burial ceremony of John Muhia, who was the father of Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, in Malewa Ranch in Nyandarua County on January 7, 2026.
“Ms Karua cites the gender card, Dr Matiang’i says he was proved to be a workaholic in his Cabinet stint in Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, and the Gen Z are demanding his candidacy,” he said.
“Mr Musyoka speaks of his age and experience... such are the diverse outlooks that we are contending with,” Mr Gachagua added.
Mr Natembeya, on the other hand, thinks it should be left to the people—the masses.
“Only a public participation process will do us good in picking a flag bearer, as opposed to a scenario where a few people meet in a boardroom to pick that flag bearer,” he told Nation.
Political scientist John Okumu has warned Mr Gachagua against unnecessary comments around contentious issues that he argues are best left for boardroom haggling.
“Anytime you prematurely bring them to the public court, you offer both your opponents and the media fodder for the day,” Mr Okumu said.
During a burial in Murang’a on Friday, more points of conflict in the nascent team emerged.
Ms Karua publicly protested the habit of DCP leaders elevating Mr Gachagua as the United Opposition leader.
This was after repeated introductions of Mr Gachagua by his loyalists as “our community and opposition leader in whose hands our direction about 2027 lies.”
Ms Karua lamented that the habit was akin to the creation of a first among equals among the principals.
“We do not have a first among equals up to this phase... we are all equal. We are all standing presidents and we will only have a first among equals when we hand the presidential ticket to one of us,” she said.
But Mixson Gitau, a political commentator allied to DCP, faulted Ms Karua’s stance.
“What do you expect when Mr Gachagua attends a public function accompanied by elected leaders and aspirants allied to him? When they are given a chance to address the public, you expect them to elevate who? Part of presidential ticket competition is about who can mobilise more foot soldiers, and Gachagua is outdoing all of you on that aspect,” Mr Gitau said.
Another point of conflict is the hyping of Mt Kenya as a tribal entity by Mr Gachagua and his loyalists.
This is an issue that is clearly frustrating Dr Matiang’i, to a point he has been consistent in demanding that the region embrace a national thinking mind-set.
“All of us to chart our way forward from the platform of being Kenyans, as opposed to being contained in a divisive tribal cocoon,” Dr Matiang’i said at the Murang’a burial ceremony.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka (right) and Jubilee Party’s Dr Fred Matiang’i during a public rally at Gitugi market in Murang'a County.
On February 1, 2026, while attending a church function at Anglican Gitugi Church in Murang’a County, Dr Matiang’i told off DCP’s chair of the council of eminent persons, Maina Kamanda.
Mr Kamanda had postured that “we knew President Ruto was not a Mùgikuyu when we were voting for him in 2022 and he should not take it as a big issue if the same community decided not to vote for him in 2027.”
Mr Kamanda further directed Dr Matiang’i to “first go and mobilise a base in Nyanza region instead of coming to eat into an already mobilised Mt Kenya bloc.”
Mr Kamanda wanted Dr Matiang’i to take Jubilee Party as a Kisii special purpose vehicle “just like it happened in 2001 when Simeon Nyachae took over Ford People from Kimani wa Nyoike and made it an Abagusii party.”
These utterances have appeared to rub Dr Matiang’i the wrong way.
“It does not matter from what corner of the country we come from; what matters is identification and appreciation of the problem we have of saving this country by coming together as frustrated Kenyans, not as tribal blocs,” he shot back.
Another conflict brewing in the United Opposition is Ms Karua’s insistence that in all seats to be contested in 2027, the coalition apply consensus to field one candidate per seat.
One presidential candidate
“Removing President Ruto will not be easy. We need unity and love. We should, besides fielding one presidential candidate, also consider fielding one aspirant in the other seats against Ruto’s candidate,” she said at the Murang’a burial.
But speaking minutes later in Muthithi market, Mr Gachagua insisted that DCP will field candidates across the country.
“Since we are a national party, I’m selling my own party. Others can sell theirs. This is also our Mountain party,” he said.
Jubilee Party Deputy Secretary General Zack Kinuthia insisted that “we will field candidates in all contests nationally because, besides being a national party, we are also a former government seeking to get back to power.”
The hyped handshake between former President Kenyatta and Mr Gachagua is also creating heat in the United Opposition.
East Africa Legislative Assembly member Kanini Kega on Friday insisted that it is what Mt Kenya and the United Opposition need.
But Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara has consistently argued that the handshake can only be meaningful if Mr Kenyatta accepts to play in his retirement lane.
“It is a question of transition. In 2012, the then Interior CS John Michuki endorsed Mr Kenyatta as the gateway leader for Mt Kenya votes. In 2017, we renewed that mandate. In 2022, Mr Kenyatta did not endorse a mountaineer but instead brought Mr Raila Odinga to be our community leader... this time round he is bringing Dr Matiang’i,” Ms Kihara said.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka (centre) and other leaders of the United Opposition (from left) Rigathi Gachagua, Justin Muturi and Martha Karua address the media outside Vigilance House in Nairobi on January 30, 2026.
“We can only get somewhere if we accept that the Mountain vote should be consolidated by a community leader who for now is Mr Gachagua and be taken to the negotiation table by him,” she added.
While the DCP appears ready to accept the handshake on condition that Mr Kenyatta acknowledge Mr Gachagua as the community leader, Mr Kinuthia wonders: “What for? Is it even necessary?”
The other point of conflict is on how to treat the opposition ‘rebels’.
While Mr Gachagua wants President Ruto loyalists, especially those who voted to impeach him as Deputy President in October 2024, locked out of the United Opposition, Dr Matiang’i’s Jubilee and Karua’s PLP have publicly welcomed them.
Ms Karua has since said “they are welcome in our united front and they can come through my party.”
Mr Kinuthia said the so-called traitors are welcome in Jubilee, hence creating a wedge between the two parties and Mr Gachagua’s DCP.
The other flash point is on Dr Matiang’i and the question of his base: DCP loyalists want him to make Nyanza his base.
Mr Kinuthia retorts that “Dr Matiang’i is a national leader who has nevertheless locked Gusii land and his strongest base remains the Gen Z population... Our Matiang’i is a national aspirant.”
Dr Matiang’i has repeatedly warned against politics of insults, openly declaring that “we can compete on issues where we tell Kenyans what is wrong with this government we want to defeat and articulating what is our alternative.”
This is widely seen as a jab at Mr Gachagua, who has made a name in highly unsubstantiated sensational claims against President Ruto and his loyalists, including senior security managers.
“Mr Gachagua is notorious for branding many of his opponents as murderers and corrupt, but once invited by security agencies to record statements that can help in ascertaining the truth, he refuses, opting to disparage and defame personalities and institutions, at the same time influencing a national discourse founded on sensationalism, propaganda and raw lies,” said Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri on February 6, 2026.
