NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 10 – Jubilee Party Presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i has sought to play down reports of divisions within the United Opposition, saying the coalition is still in the process of establishing itself before settling on who will lead it into the 2027 presidential election.

📻 Breaking It Down

The Jubilee presidential candidate said differences among the opposition principals should not be interpreted as infighting, arguing that the coalition was a collection of leaders who had come together and had yet to settle on a captain.

“It cannot be that United Opposition is like a seminary, there is mother superior. United Opposition does not have a coach, supervisor, high priest or somebody who is above everybody. We are leaders who have come together,” Matiang’i said during an interview on K24.

His remarks come amid growing competition within the opposition over who will secure the ticket to challenge President William Ruto in the August 2027 General Election.

📌 What You Need to Know

Matiang’i has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the opposition presidential ticket, alongside Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, while Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has also intensified his mobilisation and presidential campaign.

Recent reports have pointed to growing differences between supporters of Matiang’i and Kalonzo over the process and timing of selecting the coalition’s presidential flagbearer. Matiang’i has insisted that the process should be transparent and involve Kenyans, while Kalonzo’s supporters have maintained that the Wiper leader is best placed to lead the opposition into the election.

The competing ambitions have raised questions over whether the coalition can maintain its unity while its principals campaign for the same position.

Matiang’i, however, rejected descriptions of the disagreements as a sign of a split.

“I can’t say there’s a push and pull. I cannot say there is infighting. What is there is differences in opinions, which is okay. What is democracy anyway?” he said.

He compared the coalition-building process to assembling a team, saying its leadership should be determined only after the various political players had been brought together.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya