Opposition Unites to Challenge Ruto, ODM in Upcoming By-Elections

Kenya’s United Opposition coalition has announced a unified strategy to field joint candidates in the 27 November 2025 by-elections.

The plan was unveiled in Nairobi on Monday, where former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua appeared alongside Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP–K) leader Eugene Wamalwa. The leaders said the coalition would nominate a single candidate in each contested constituency to avoid splitting the opposition vote and strengthen their chances against the government alliance.

“This is not just a tactic for the by-elections,” Gachagua said. “It is a rehearsal for the 2027 presidential race. We will use the same approach to ensure President Ruto does not secure a second term.” 

He dismissed President William Ruto’s recent claim that the opposition lacked the capacity to challenge him, adding, “We are not his opponents-the people of Kenya are.”

The upcoming by-elections, triggered by court nullifications and other procedural issues, will test the opposition’s ability to work together. Kalonzo cited several examples of coordinated withdrawals among coalition partners, including the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) stepping aside in Mbeera North in favour of the Democratic Party (DP), as well as similar arrangements in Malava, Magarini, and Narok Town. 

He said these moves demonstrated growing cooperation within the alliance.

In Magarini, DCP’s Stanley Kenga will face ODM’s Harrison Garama Kombe, whose 2022 win was annulled. The race is expected to be closely watched as a measure of the opposition’s national strength.

Wamalwa reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to unity, saying, “We are ready to make difficult choices because the stakes are too high to allow division.”

Notably absent from the briefing were Dr Fred Matiang’i, widely seen as the Jubilee Party’s likely presidential candidate, and Martha Karua of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP). Their absence fuelled speculation about internal differences, though no official reason was provided.

Kalonzo also announced that coalition leaders would visit the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s gravesite at Opoda Farm later this week, following an invitation from Mama Ida Odinga.