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Coalition politics alone cannot topple Ruto in 2027, Wanjigi warns

Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi has thrown cold water on opposition attempts to stitch together a united front against President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that such coalitions are built on the wrong foundation and will ultimately fail to dislodge the incumbent.

Speaking during an interview on June 19, Wanjigi made clear that he intends to run for the presidency on his own terms, rejecting the push among opposition figures to rally behind a single candidate or platform. He said he will pursue an independent presidential bid rather than anchor himself to any coalition arrangement.

At the heart of Wanjigi’s concern is the character of how these political alliances are being assembled. He argued that the emerging opposition realignments are driven by personality interests and ethnic calculations rather than genuine policy positions. Without a clear ideological grounding, he warned, these groupings risk reproducing the very patterns of governance that Kenyans have grown deeply frustrated with.

The Safina Party leader was particularly pointed in his assessment of the country’s political culture, accusing Kenya’s political class of reducing democratic competition to “elite bargaining rather than substantive policy alternatives.” In his view, the real test of any presidential contender should be the quality of their answers to the problems that ordinary Kenyans live with every day.

Among the issues Wanjigi identified as central to the 2027 contest are debt management, the burden of taxation on ordinary citizens, and the stubborn problem of unemployment — concerns that he says the current political discourse is failing to address with any seriousness. He suggested that an opposition anchored on personalities, rather than ideas, cannot credibly challenge President Ruto’s administration through electoral competition alone.

Wanjigi’s position represents a notable departure from the conventional wisdom in Kenyan opposition politics, which has long assumed that defeating a sitting president requires assembling the broadest possible coalition. His stand raises questions about whether fragmented opposition voices can mount a meaningful challenge in 2027, or whether voters will once again find themselves choosing between elite factions with little to distinguish them on matters of substance.

As the 2027 campaigns begin to take shape, Wanjigi’s remarks serve as an early signal that Kenya’s political battles will not be settled by numbers and backroom deals alone — and that voters may increasingly demand to know not just who is running, but precisely what they are running for.

Politics

Didmus Barasa Eyes Bungoma Governor’s Seat, Puts Education at Heart of Campaign

Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa has officially declared his intention to contest the Bungoma gubernatorial seat, positioning education as the cornerstone of his campaign. The lawmaker made his ambitions public after holding extensive consultations with more than 3,000 junior secondary school teachers across the county, using the engagement to unveil a wide-ranging agenda aimed at transforming governance in western Kenya’s most populous county.

On the education front, Barasa is proposing a significant overhaul of how young learners are nourished and supported. He wants to scrap the current ECDE feeding programme and replace it with a revived “Nyayo milk” scheme that would supply dairy products to pupils twice a week, covering learners from the early childhood stage all the way through Grade 9. The initiative would also extend milk benefits to pregnant and lactating women in the county. To underpin the plan, Barasa says he would fast-track the completion of a long-stalled milk processing plant in Webuye, turning the idle facility into the engine of the entire programme.

Teacher welfare forms another central pillar of the MP’s pitch. He committed to enforcing existing legislation that requires retired teachers to receive their dues within 90 days of leaving service — a pledge that landed well among educators who have long complained about delayed pension payments. He also proposed a mandatory six-month notice period before any teacher transfer, giving staff and their families adequate time to prepare. Barasa went further, calling for a five-year moratorium on JSS transfers, arguing that lasting institutional stability cannot be built while schools are still settling into the new curriculum framework.

Beyond classrooms, Barasa outlined plans touching healthcare and agriculture. He wants to introduce private wings inside public hospitals, a move he argues will raise service quality without displacing patients from public facilities. On farming, he raised the alarm over maize growers in the county being exploited by middlemen offering well below market prices, suggesting the county government would need to intervene on their behalf. He also pledged to rebuild village polytechnics as functioning centres of vocational training for youth.

Infrastructure and access to government services also featured prominently. Among his proposals is establishing a Huduma Centre in Kimilili, which would allow residents to obtain birth certificates and access key national government services locally, sparing them the expense and inconvenience of travelling to distant offices for routine paperwork.

The teaching fraternity in Bungoma has responded warmly to Barasa’s overtures. Augustine Luketelo, the county secretary of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), said educators in the region are ready to support the MP’s gubernatorial bid. Luketelo expressed confidence that Barasa, having demonstrated a genuine understanding of the challenges facing schools, would place education at the top of his agenda if elected governor.

Politics

Kikuyu Elders Urge Peace as Kenya Marks June 25 Gen Z Protest Anniversary

The Kikuyu Council of Elders has stepped forward with a strong message to security agencies, calling on them to take firm preventive action ahead of the June 25 anniversary commemorations honoring lives lost during Kenya’s 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests. The council made clear that allowing the events to be disrupted would be a betrayal of those who sacrificed their lives.

In their statement, the elders raised alarm over what they termed “rising political tensions, inflammatory rhetoric and reports of planned violence in major urban centres.” They went further, flagging credible concerns that organised gangs may be mobilised and deployed to cause chaos during the commemorations, with financial backing potentially being channelled into funding such violent activities.

Council Secretary General James Nene drove the message home, reminding all Kenyans that “maintaining peace remains a collective responsibility” — words that carry weight regardless of one’s political leanings. National Chairman Wachira Wa Kiago reinforced this position, calling on citizens to stand firm against violence, warning that such a path “only fuel further bloodshed and derail the country’s development agenda.”

Young representatives who attended the council’s briefing added their own voices to the call for restraint. They proposed that those taking part in the June 25 commemorations carry national flags, white handkerchiefs, and water as symbols of peaceful intent. Equally, they called on security agencies to provide proper protection for participants and ensure that criminal elements are not allowed to infiltrate or hijack the events.

Beyond physical safety, the council extended its warning into the political sphere, cautioning Kenyans against being drawn into manipulation through promises or narratives that link financial compensation to protest-related deaths and injuries. The elders made plain that such overtures should be treated with suspicion and firmly rejected by all communities.

As June 25 draws closer, the Kikuyu Council of Elders’ appeal reflects a desire shared by many Kenyans — that the anniversary be observed as a solemn, dignified moment of reflection rather than a fresh flashpoint for unrest. The lives lost in 2024 deserve to be honoured with the same courage and conviction that defined the young people who took to the streets, and the elders are calling on every stakeholder, from security agencies to ordinary citizens, to protect that legacy.

Politics

Sifuna Heads Back to Court Over Fresh ODM Removal as Secretary-General

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has declared his intention to head back to court after the Orange Democratic Movement moved to unseat him from the party’s Secretary-General position once more. The senator confirmed he will challenge the latest decision through legal channels, marking what could become his second court battle with the party over the same seat.

The move against Sifuna was triggered after ODM’s National Executive Committee voted in favour of his removal following a report presented by the party’s Internal Disputes Resolution Committee. The committee had been tasked with investigating complaints linked to the senator’s conduct in his capacity as Secretary-General.

Sifuna and members of the Linda Mwananchi Movement, a grouping backing his position, wasted no time in pushing back, arguing the latest ouster carries the same hallmarks as a similar attempt made in February this year. Suba South Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi voiced the group’s frustration during a press briefing in Parliament, stating that “the decision bears similarities with the first one in February and is procedural and unfair.” The allies maintain the party is recycling flawed tactics without addressing the fundamental issues raised by the tribunal earlier in the year.

The February removal attempt had ended badly for ODM after Sifuna successfully challenged it before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal. The tribunal ruled against the party, finding that ODM had denied the senator a fair hearing. Critically, it noted there was no evidence Sifuna had been formally notified of any disciplinary proceedings against him, nor had he been granted any opportunity to defend himself before the decision was reached. That ruling effectively restored him to his post and set a clear legal precedent the party now appears to be working around.

ODM, however, insists the current removal process is entirely above board. The party maintains that this time the action against Sifuna has followed all proper constitutional procedures, with the Internal Disputes Resolution Committee having thoroughly examined complaints that the senator was publicly communicating positions at odds with those of the party’s leadership.

Sifuna’s legal advisers have expressed confidence that pursuing the matter through the tribunal once again remains the right course of action. They believe the same legal arguments that succeeded in overturning the first removal are likely to prevail against this latest decision as well.

The standoff deepens questions about internal cohesion within ODM at a politically sensitive moment, as the party continues to navigate its alliance dynamics in Kenya’s shifting political landscape.

Politics

Mudavadi Tells Senate New Nairobi Deal Is Not a Repeat of Controversial NMS

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi sat before the Senate’s Devolution Committee on March 30, 2026, to defend a newly signed cooperation agreement between the national government and the Nairobi City County Government. The appearance came amid growing scrutiny from lawmakers who wanted to understand how the deal differed from past arrangements that had proven contentious.

Central to Mudavadi’s argument was his insistence that the framework should not be compared to the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services. He drew a firm distinction, telling senators that the new deal was about coordination between two levels of government rather than a transfer of county functions to the national government. “This is a cooperation agreement and not a transfer of functions. The NMS was a transfer of functions — this one is purely around coordination,” he said.

The scope of the agreement is ambitious. Spanning two years and estimated at around Sh80 billion, the framework sets out to address some of the city’s most entrenched urban problems. Key interventions include improvements to water and sanitation systems, the installation of 50,000 street lights across the city, road rehabilitation, expansion of public markets, flood resilience projects, and enhanced security operations in Nairobi’s various neighbourhoods.

Senate pushback was swift and pointed. Several lawmakers were uncomfortable with what they saw as echoes of the NMS arrangement, which saddled the county with Sh15 billion in unpaid bills upon its closure. Senator Karungo Thang’wa argued that regardless of how the deal was labelled, it functionally replicated a transfer of county roles. Senator Catherine Mumma went further, criticising the government for signing the agreement without adequate public participation, a requirement under Kenya’s devolution framework.

Mudavadi pushed back by appealing to the national significance of the capital. He reminded the committee that Nairobi’s contribution to the national economy cannot be overstated. “Nairobi accounts for about 60 percent of our GDP as a country,” he said, arguing that targeted, coordinated investment in the city was not merely a county concern but a matter of national interest.

On the question of governance, Mudavadi outlined a two-tiered oversight structure. A joint steering committee, chaired by his office, will provide strategic direction for the initiative. Below that, Governor Johnson Sakaja’s implementation committee will be responsible for the day-to-day management and execution of projects, an arrangement the PCS said was designed to ensure both levels of government remained actively involved and accountable.

Politics

Tribunal Gives ODM Green Light to Pursue Disciplinary Case Against Senator Sifuna

The Orange Democratic Movement has emerged victorious in a critical legal battle after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) dismissed an application by Senator Edwin Sifuna, clearing ODM to proceed with disciplinary proceedings against him. The ruling marks a significant turning point in the protracted dispute between the party and its own Secretary General, whose position has been under threat since early this year.

The tension between Sifuna and ODM’s leadership first broke into the open in February 2026, when the party’s National Executive Committee formally initiated removal proceedings against him. Moving swiftly to protect himself, Sifuna filed a case at the PPDT, and the Tribunal granted him temporary orders halting the disciplinary process while his application was considered. It was the beginning of what would become a drawn-out legal back-and-forth between the Senator and the party he serves.

The Tribunal handed down its first substantive ruling in March 2026, declining to shield Sifuna from the party machinery and instead directing both sides to first go through ODM’s own internal dispute resolution channels. The message was clear — before the PPDT could step in, the party’s internal mechanisms needed to be given a proper chance to work.

Sifuna was back before the Tribunal in April, this time pushing for orders that would shut down the disciplinary hearings altogether. The PPDT declined to go that far, but issued a compromise ruling — ODM could continue with the hearing process, though any decisions reached could not be implemented pending further review. That conditional shield is precisely what the latest ruling has now dismantled.

The most recent PPDT decision removes all restrictions that had been placed on ODM’s internal proceedings. The party is now free to conduct its disciplinary hearings and, crucially, to act on whatever findings emerge without being constrained by outstanding court orders. For ODM’s leadership, it represents a clean sweep.

ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen welcomed the outcome, saying it vindicated the party’s stance throughout the dispute. “The Tribunal dismissed Senator Sifuna’s application, reaffirming the principle that internal party processes should be allowed to run their course,” Ong’wen said, signalling that the party intends to move ahead without delay.

Legal experts say the decision is a firm endorsement of the exhaustion doctrine — the legal principle requiring parties to fully utilise available internal remedies before turning to outside judicial bodies for relief. More broadly, the ruling reinforces the constitutional right of political parties in Kenya to govern their own affairs according to their founding documents and rules, without courts stepping in before those processes have had the opportunity to run their course.

Politics

Kingi and Mvurya launch Coast unity campaign ahead of 2027 Kenya polls

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya have taken their political roadshow to the Coast, rallying residents behind President William Ruto’s campaign for a second term in the 2027 general election. The two leaders held consultative meetings across Voi and Taveta sub-counties, working closely with Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho as part of a coordinated regional outreach effort aimed at building grassroots momentum for the ruling administration.

Kingi was candid about the Coast’s long-standing political weakness, pointing out that leaders in the region have historically operated in silos, each pursuing individual agendas at the expense of their collective bargaining power. This fragmented approach, he argued, has repeatedly cost the region its rightful seat at the national table. To correct that pattern, the trio has mapped out plans to visit all 26 constituencies across the Coast, holding targeted engagements with community elders, religious leaders, and grassroots formations to build a common political front.

The Senate Speaker also turned his sights on opposition figures, accusing them of stoking divisions rather than advocating for coastal development. Kingi insisted that such politicians prioritise destructive rhetoric over concrete initiatives that could improve the lives of residents, and called on communities to reject that approach in favour of a unified political voice heading into the next election cycle.

Underpinning the unity call is a development record that Kingi was quick to highlight. He cited approximately Sh340 billion in government investment channelled into Coast counties under the current administration. Mombasa received the lion’s share at Sh121 billion, followed by Lamu with Sh103 billion and Kilifi at Sh48 billion. Taita Taveta and Kwale each received Sh31 billion, with the funds directed towards roads, water infrastructure, health facilities, affordable housing, and market development across the region.

Mvurya added his weight to the campaign, arguing that the Kenya Kwanza administration represents the Coast’s best bet for sustained growth. He contended that President Ruto has delivered more development to the region than any previous government, and urged residents to recognise that backing the administration ahead of 2027 is not merely a political choice but a pragmatic one for the region’s long-term interests.

The Voi and Taveta meetings mark the opening chapter of what is shaping up to be an intensive ground campaign along the Coast. With plans to canvas all 26 constituencies, the three leaders appear determined to leave no community untouched as Kenya Kwanza works to consolidate the region’s support well ahead of the 2027 polls.

Politics

Mbui tables Bill to fulfil Ruto’s tax relief promise for Kenyan workers below Sh30,000

Kathiani Member of Parliament Robert Mbui has stepped up to give President William Ruto’s high-profile tax relief pledge a concrete legislative path. The MP has advanced a proposal that would strip income tax obligations from salaried workers taking home less than Sh30,000 per month. If enacted, the measure would offer meaningful financial relief to an estimated 1.5 million Kenyans who currently pay income tax at the lower end of the earnings scale.

The push traces its origins to the National Prayer Breakfast, a prominent national gathering where President Ruto signalled his readiness to lift low earners out of the income tax bracket. While the remarks were warmly received by many Kenyans at the time, they initially remained a political pledge without a clear route through Parliament. Mbui’s legislative action now gives that promise a fighting chance of becoming law.

Translating the commitment into statute, however, comes with a steep fiscal price tag. Treasury projections indicate that exempting this category of workers could create a shortfall of approximately Sh40 billion in government revenue. That figure has sat at the heart of the debate, with critics questioning how the government intends to offset lost earnings without tightening the screws on other taxpayers or cutting public services.

The proposal’s journey has not been straightforward. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi initially excluded it from the 2026-2027 budget presentation — a move that threatened to quietly shelve Ruto’s pledge before it gained any real legislative traction. The exclusion drew sharp attention from lawmakers, and parliamentary action subsequently revived momentum. Mbadi has since walked back his earlier position, publicly affirming that “the promise made by President Ruto and myself will be implemented.”

The focal point now sits squarely with Parliament, where MPs must weigh a Sh40 billion revenue gap on one side against the lived pressures of workers who take home modest salaries and feel every deduction keenly. The debate is expected to be pointed, pitting fiscal responsibility against the government’s obligation to provide meaningful relief for Kenya’s lower-income workforce.

For the millions of Kenyans earning at the lower end of the formal economy, the outcome carries real-world consequences. A successful exemption would translate directly into a larger monthly take-home figure — making it one of the more tangible personal finance wins to come out of Kenya’s tax policy discussions in recent years, and a measure that would test whether a presidential promise can survive the pressures of budget arithmetic.

Politics

ODM Makes Sifuna’s Exit Official as NEC Endorses His Removal as Secretary-General

The Orange Democratic Movement has officially drawn the curtain on Edwin Sifuna’s time as Secretary-General, with the party’s top decision-making organ moving to cement his removal from the influential post. The Nairobi Senator, long one of ODM’s most recognisable public voices, has been eased out following a disciplinary process that moved through the party’s established internal structures before landing at the NEC for a final seal of approval.

Acting Secretary-General Catherine Omanyo delivered the formal confirmation, announcing that the National Executive Committee had ratified the decision to remove Sifuna from office. The NEC’s endorsement came after the body reviewed and accepted recommendations forwarded by the party’s Internal Dispute Resolution Committee, the organ specifically mandated to handle matters of internal discipline within ODM.

Omanyo was firm that the entire exercise had been above board. “The process was conducted within party rules,” she stated, a declaration clearly intended to frame Sifuna’s exit not as a political settling of scores but as the outcome of a properly constituted party process. Her remarks signalled that, as far as ODM’s leadership is concerned, the matter is concluded and handled through legitimate channels.

The departure is a significant one. Sifuna had built a considerable profile within ODM and on the national stage more broadly, becoming one of the party’s sharpest and most outspoken operatives. His removal reshapes the internal dynamics of the opposition outfit and is likely to reverberate across the wider Kenyan political space, particularly among ODM’s base in Nairobi and the broader Luhya community.

The specific grounds upon which the disciplinary action against Sifuna was taken have not been fully disclosed to the public, with granular details of the committee proceedings remaining largely out of reach. What is clear, however, is that the process followed a structured, multi-stage path — progressing from the Internal Dispute Resolution Committee’s review to a formal NEC ratification before being announced publicly on June 22, 2026.

With the ratification now done, Catherine Omanyo remains at the helm of the Secretariat in an acting capacity. No substantive appointment to replace Sifuna has been announced, leaving the party’s administrative leadership in a transitional state as ODM weighs its next move internally.

Political analysts and ODM watchers will be keen to see whether Sifuna mounts any formal challenge to the decision or pursues other avenues. For now, the party appears resolved to move on, presenting a united front around the process even as questions linger about what precisely triggered one of the more dramatic internal shake-ups in the opposition’s recent history.

Politics

Kindiki Tells Gachagua to Stay in His Lane Over Constitutional Dispute

The simmering rivalry between Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and his ousted predecessor Rigathi Gachagua has once again burst into the open, with Kindiki bluntly telling the former deputy president to “stay in your lane” as the two men trade increasingly sharp barbs over how to interpret Kenya’s constitution.

At the centre of the row is a disagreement over how the constitution treats presidential terms. Kindiki’s position is that the document guarantees President William Ruto the right to a second term in office. Gachagua flatly rejects this reading, arguing that the constitution only sets out five-year terms with elections held every five years — and that no incumbent is automatically handed a second chance at the top job without first winning it at the ballot box.

Kindiki was quick to remind Kenyans of his legal pedigree, pointing out that as a law professor he has spent years studying constitutions from across the globe. Rather than engage with Gachagua’s specific arguments, he took a broader swing, dismissing the former deputy president’s criticism as the product of “insults, division and primitive politics.” In Kindiki’s framing, the dispute is less about genuine constitutional scholarship and more about political point-scoring from a man who no longer holds office.

Gachagua, never one to take a punch without throwing one back, was unsparing in his response. He told Kindiki directly: “Please, don’t embarrass us…You are thinking and reading the Constitution upside down.” The former deputy president stuck firmly to his reading of the law, maintaining that the constitution is clear — presidents serve five-year terms, elections are held every five years, and nothing in the document hands any head of state an automatic second term.

The exchange lays bare how completely the relationship between Kenya’s two former running mates has broken down. Once bound by a shared political ticket, Kindiki and Gachagua now find themselves on opposite sides of almost every conversation, with disagreements over policy and governance direction driving a wedge that shows no sign of closing.

For ordinary Kenyans watching from the sidelines, the spat raises an uncomfortable question about leadership at the highest levels of government. With senior officials swapping insults over constitutional interpretation rather than focusing on pressing national matters, many citizens will be left wondering whether this very public feud is truly about upholding the law — or whether it is simply a contest of egos playing out for political advantage.

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