United Opposition leaders have renewed calls for political unity ahead of the 2027 General Election, promising to field a single presidential candidate and running mate to challenge President William Ruto’s re election bid.
During a people’s engagement tour in Limuru, Kiambu County, leaders drawn from different opposition parties dismissed suggestions of divisions within their ranks, insisting they were committed to building a united political front to remove the Kenya Kwanza administration from power.
People’s Party of Kenya leader Ndindi Nyoro said the opposition would overcome its internal differences and agree on a common presidential candidate, warning President Ruto’s supporters against banking on divisions among opposition leaders.
“We will have one presidential candidate and one running mate. We are for one team, one nation and one purpose because we want Kenya to change,” he said.
Nyoro outlined an alternative policy agenda centred on education, healthcare and economic recovery, promising free basic education and better support for early childhood development teachers.
He proposed that Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers be absorbed into the Teachers Service Commission from January 2028 to guarantee them regular salaries and improved working conditions.
On healthcare, he proposed reallocating Sh40 billion from the National Social Security Fund to support families struggling with the cost of treating chronic illnesses, arguing that medical expenses had pushed many households into financial distress.
He also cited his Kiharu Masomo Bora programme, which he said supports about 12,000 day school pupils who pay Sh500 in fees and receive meals from Monday to Saturday, as an example of how his proposed national education policy could work.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who leads the Jubilee Party, also declared that opposition leaders would unite, arguing that the country’s challenges required a coordinated political response.
He accused the Ruto administration of failing to adequately address insecurity, healthcare and education, saying the opposition was determined to restore effective governance.
Matiang’i urged political leaders to respect one another and avoid personal rivalries that could undermine their collective ambitions.
People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua said unity must be founded on mutual respect, warning against attempts by individual politicians to dictate who qualifies to lead the opposition.
She maintained that voters, rather than political elites, should ultimately determine the country’s leadership through the ballot.
Karua revisited the opposition’s 2022 campaign promises on affordable healthcare, free education and employment opportunities, saying the same agenda remained relevant.
She also challenged Kenyans to register as voters and actively protect their votes, insisting that electoral participation was critical to achieving political change.
The Limuru tour provided the opposition leaders with an opportunity to sell their political agenda while seeking public support for a common front, although the question of who will carry the coalition’s presidential ticket remains unresolved.
