Wiper members endorse Kalonzo as presidential candidate, threaten to go it alone

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka addresses supporters at Chumvi junction in Machakos County on November 1, 2026. [Dennis Kavisu, Standard]

Mombasa Wiper Patriot Front Party branch members have endorsed party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as the opposition presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election.

The Wiper members, led by branch chairman Dr John Chamia warned that if Kalonzo is not picked as the opposition flagbearer, they will go it alone in the elections.

Chamia said the Wiper leader, being an experienced and mature politician in the country, deserved respect from the opposition members, including Linda Mwanannchi Movement leader Edwin Sifuna.

“Kalonzo will go it alone if the opposition refuses to nominate him as the opposition presidential candidate come 2027 General Election,” he said.

Addressing a press conference at Hotel Sapphire in Mombasa, he condemned the booing of Kalonzo during the launch of the Linda Mwananchi Movement Party in Nairobi last week, saying the incident reminded them of 2007 when supporters of the late Raila Odinga heckled and humiliated Kalonzo at the Khadija Primary School grounds in Mombasa.

Wiper secretary for religious affairs Sheikh Omar Twaha said the 2007 incident forced Kalonzo to abandon the Raila group and go it alone in the polls.

"If Sifuna does not bring discipline in his party and tell members to respect Kalonzo, we will go it alone and fly over both Ruto and the other opposition leaders," he said.

He claimed that it amounted to mockery to claim that Kalonzo was a watermelon while he declined to join the broad-based government after being offered a ministerial position.

"Kalonzo has always had a firm political standing and it is wrong to brand him a watermelon. He declined a ministerial flag in the broad-based government and opted to challenge the government from the opposition side," said Twaha.

Dr Chamia said Sifuna’s supporters misunderstood Kalonzo when he said that the Linda Mwananchi leader was not yet a presidential candidate until a decision was made by the National Delegates Conference (NDC).

He said Kalonzo, being a lawyer, was talking about what the law says on picking a presidential candidate but the Linda Mwananchi supporters took the matter out of context.

They denied claims by a Kisii politician who had claimed that Kalonzo will be President William Ruto’s running mate in UDA during next year’s General Election.

“Kalonzo will not be President Ruto’s running mate in the 2027 General Election because his focus is to remove Ruto from leadership next year. Wiper does not associate itself with the UDA ideology,” said Chamia.

The Wiper members wondered why some people think Kalonzo would be Sufuna’s running mate.

They argued that the Wiper leader used to accept being Raila's running mate because he was senior to him and demonstrated respect.

Mombasa politicians Patricia Nzioka and Ezekiel Kiminza said Kalonzo was the most senior opposition leader in the country and must be accorded respect by other leaders and their supporters even as they forge a united front against Ruto.

Twaha claimed that Sifuna's supporters were provoking Wiper so that he could later be blamed for the opposition split but cautioned that this could give Ruto undue advantage.

He appealed to all opposition leaders and supporters to unite against Ruto.

"We expect Sifuna to reciprocate this being Raila’s political student and respect Kalonzo or bungle the opposition quest for unity against President Ruto," said Twaha.