Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has unveiled a major political realignment at the Coast, announcing former Cabinet secretary Aisha Jumwa’s defection from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to the Wiper-led political outfit.
Mr Musyoka said Ms Jumwa had been designated Wiper’s deputy party leader and unveiled as the party’s candidate for the Kilifi governorship in the 2027 General Election.
The announcement was made in Kilifi on Friday during a high-profile political engagement that drew a large gathering of supporters and several senior Wiper leaders.
Mr Musyoka said the reception he received in the county was a clear indication of growing support for the party’s political agenda at the Coast.
“The roar, the energy, the sea of blue—it was a message. Kilifi, we heard you loud and clear,” Mr Musyoka said.
He described Ms Jumwa’s decision to join Wiper as the outcome of consultations that had been ongoing for some time, signalling a potentially significant shift in Coast politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Consultations that have been running for a while have now borne fruit, kwa sababu hatufanyi kazi kwa bidii tu, tunafanya kazi kwa akili,” he said.
Ms Jumwa, who previously served in the national Cabinet and has been a prominent political figure in Kilifi, said her decision was driven by what she described as the need for change and a broader political movement to “kukomboa Kenya”.
“The journey to kukomboa Kenya and Kilifi is on. The people are ready, the movement is growing, and the time for change is now,” she said.
She thanked Mr Musyoka and other leaders for supporting her political journey, naming Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, Nyali MP Mohamed Ali, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako and Mwingi North MP Paul Nzengu among those involved in the consultations.
Ms Jumwa also hosted Mr Musyoka at her residence in Kakuyuni, where the two held further consultations on national and county political issues.
She described the meeting as an important step in discussions on the future of Kilifi and the country.
The latest development gives Wiper a high-profile political figure and gubernatorial contender in Kilifi as parties begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections.
Mr Musyoka was accompanied by Mr Ali, who has been designated Wiper deputy party leader, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Enoch Wambua, Mr Nzengu, Mr Mwashako and newly appointed party spokesman Ndegwa Njiru, among other leaders.
The Wiper leader sought to present the Coast mobilisation as part of a wider political push, declaring that the region would not be left behind in the party’s plans.
“Pwani haiko peke yake. Wiper iko na nyinyi,” he said.
Ms Jumwa’s move is likely to reshape the political contest in Kilifi, where control of the county administration will be one of the key battlegrounds in 2027.
Her elevation within Wiper also gives her a national role in the party while positioning her at the centre of its Coast mobilisation strategy.
The former Cabinet secretary has previously been a prominent ally of the Kenya Kwanza administration and a senior UDA figure. Her departure therefore represents a notable shift as political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections continue to take shape.
Mr Musyoka, meanwhile, used the occasion to rally Coast residents behind Wiper’s political message, urging them to join what he described as a movement for change.
The developments underline the intensifying political realignments across the country more than a year before the 2027 General Election, with parties increasingly seeking influential regional figures to strengthen their support bases.
For Wiper, the recruitment of Ms Jumwa marks an attempt to deepen its presence at the Coast and turn its political machinery into a serious force in the region ahead of the next electoral contest.
