Kalonzo rings changes as party gears up for polls

Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka unveils Nyali MP Mohammed Ali and Jamleck Kamau as new leaders in his party. [Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard]

Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has unveiled a major shake-up of the party's leadership, bringing on board former Kigumo MP Jamleck Irungu Kamau as national chairperson, Nyali MP Mohamed Ali as deputy party leader-designate, and constitutional lawyer Ndegwa Njiru as the party's first spokesperson in a move aimed at strengthening the outfit ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The changes, announced on Friday, are part of what Kalonzo described as efforts to broaden the party's leadership and prepare it to lead a united opposition coalition seeking to unseat President William Ruto's administration in 2027. He said the appointments fulfil a mandate given to him by party delegates to build a stronger and more inclusive political movement.

Kalonzo said Kamau's extensive experience in government and politics made him the right choice to steer the party's internal affairs. The former Cabinet minister and two-term MP has also served as a commissioner of the Parliamentary Service Commission and played key roles in previous political coalitions.

"Hon. Kamau has spent thirty years building coalitions, balancing budgets and holding fractious political houses together under pressure. That is precisely the discipline the Wiper Patriotic Front needs as we assemble the United Alternative Government-in-Waiting," Kalonzo said.

On Mohamed Ali's appointment, Kalonzo said the Nyali legislator had built a reputation for standing up against corruption long before joining politics through his investigative journalism work on Jicho Pevu.

"Long before he joined Parliament, Mohamed Ali sat behind a camera as Chief Investigations Editor of Jicho Pevu. He exposed corruption at the highest levels, conducted undercover investigations and gave whistleblowers a platform when the system wanted them silenced. That instinct to expose rather than conceal, to serve rather than extract, has remained with him to this day," Kalonzo said.

He added that Ali has carried the same principles into public service, citing his leadership of the Finance Committee of the Parliamentary Service Commission. Kalonzo also praised the lawmaker's charitable work through the Mohamed Ali Foundation, saying its scholarship programmes, medical camps and support for people living with disabilities reflected his commitment to serving the public. He said Ali's appointment also brings younger leaders into the party's top leadership.

Kalonzo also created the office of party spokesperson, appointing lawyer Ndegwa Njiru to the role. He said the new position would strengthen the party's communication as it intensifies its political activities ahead of the next election.

"Ndegwa Njiru becomes the party's first spokesperson. A new office created for a new season of struggle. Njiru, even as we speak, is not here. He's in court," Kalonzo said.

He described Njiru as a constitutional lawyer who has consistently defended citizens and public leaders in court, saying he would now become the party's chief public voice.

Kalonzo said the appointments were based on merit and experience and would strengthen Wiper as it continues talks with other opposition parties to form what he called a credible alternative government.

The Wiper leader also criticised IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon over remarks suggesting the electoral commission could be unable to conduct the 2027 General Election under the current political climate.

Kalonzo argued that the Constitution clearly sets the election date and does not give the commission the power to postpone the national polls.

"I ask Ethekon, what does the law say? The Constitution fixed the date of the 2027 General Election. Nowhere does the law give the chairperson the right to threaten the entire nation with a postponement. If he cannot summon the spine to enforce the law as it is written, he should step aside for someone else," he said.

He further criticised what he described as the return of state-sponsored handouts during by-elections, saying such practices undermine the dignity of Kenyans and shift attention away from the country's economic challenges. Kalonzo maintained that the country's future would ultimately be decided by voters at the ballot in August 2027.