Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has offered to hand over the party's leadership and abandon his 2027 presidential ambitions to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna if he joins the party. Wamalwa made the offer during a radio interview, stating that DAP-K is a national party capable of producing a national leader. He expressed his willingness to support Sifuna's presidential bid if he decides to join the party.
Wamalwa's offer adds a new dimension to the complex opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 general election. Rival factions are advancing different presidential arrangements, with some backing Edwin Sifuna as the opposition's joint presidential candidate. Sifuna's political standing has been in flux since he was removed as ODM secretary general earlier this year and parted ways with the party.
Sifuna has since aligned himself with the Linda Mwananchi grouping, a faction of ODM rebels who have broken with the mainstream party's position of backing President William Ruto's re-election bid. Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya, a Linda Mwananchi ally, had declared Sifuna the opposition's preferred joint presidential candidate for 2027, stating that coalition partners would gather to settle on a single candidate.
Natembeya said Sifuna would contest on a United Democratic Party (UDP) ticket, a party originally associated with the late Cyrus Jirongo and currently being restructured by Natembeya and his allies. This development complicates a separate strategy being pursued by Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka's camp, which is reportedly working towards unveiling Kalonzo as the opposition's joint presidential candidate by October 10, with Sifuna as his running mate.
A recent Infotrak survey placed a Kalonzo-Sifuna combination at 23% support nationally, while a TIFA poll showed Sifuna polling at 15% individually, ahead of Kalonzo's 13%. The opposition landscape is further clouded by a dispute over party names, with Kalonzo announcing that the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition had rebranded as the Ukombozi Alliance, a move that drew a formal objection from the National Liberal Party.
The UDP faces its own naming controversy, with a separate applicant challenging the registration of the Ukombozi People's Party name. Vihiga senator Godfrey Osotsi said the dispute would not derail the Linda Mwananchi project, and Sifuna is expected to launch his new party within the next two weeks. Wamalwa maintained that DAP-K is a nationally structured party with the credentials to present a credible presidential candidate.
Wamalwa asserted that he would stand in Sifuna's way if circumstances demand that he rally behind the first-time senator. He emphasized that DAP-K's national reach makes it an ideal platform for Sifuna to launch his presidential bid. The offer by Wamalwa is seen as a strategic move to strengthen the opposition's chances in the 2027 general election.
Key points
- Eugene Wamalwa offers Edwin Sifuna DAP-K party leadership and presidential ticket if he seeks.
- Sifuna's political standing has been in flux since he was removed as ODM secretary general earlier this year.
- The opposition landscape is clouded by disputes over party names and rival factions advancing different presidential arrangements.
