Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has invoked his long political partnership with the late Raila Odinga in an apparent attempt to connect with the former opposition leader’s support base in Nyanza. Speaking at Ndori Market in Siaya County on Sunday, September 27, 2026, Musyoka repeatedly referred to his political history with Raila as he criticised President William Ruto and accused his administration of failing to honour commitments made in a 10-point agreement with the late ODM leader.
Musyoka said his association with Raila was based on his belief in the former Prime Minister’s political agenda, recalling their partnership in the 2013, 2017 and 2022 presidential elections. He claimed that in 2013, they won the elections with Raila as his running mate, but it was stolen, and that Ruto was the one who rigged the election. Musyoka also accused Ruto of subsequently turning against former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was his running mate in the 2013 election.
The visit comes as Kalonzo and other opposition leaders seek to consolidate support in Nyanza, a region that for years formed the political base of Raila, following his death. Kalonzo's current mobilisation drive in the region has been widely framed around his long association with Raila and the late opposition leader's political legacy. Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju, who accompanied Kalonzo during the Nyanza engagements, has also urged residents of the region to receive the Wiper leader as one of their own.
Musyoka used the occasion to portray himself as a politician who remained committed to Raila's cause, saying his support for the late ODM leader was not merely electoral but based on their shared political journey. He also aimed Ruto over what he described as continued violations of human rights, linking the concerns to the 10-point agenda that the President and Raila agreed on before Raila's death.
Kalonzo cited the reported abduction and torture of human rights activist Collins Otieno from Gem as an example of what he described as the continued mistreatment of government critics. He also criticised the government's handling of taxation, saying Kenyans who have demonstrated against the high cost of living and taxation have faced violence.
The Wiper leader also sought to contrast his political relationship with Raila with what he described as the current administration's treatment of the late opposition leader's agenda. Kalonzo claimed that Ruto's previous remarks about Raila had now come to pass, referring to the President's earlier statements that he would take Raila to Bondo.
Kalonzo's visit to Busia and the wider Siaya tour follows the recent rebranding of Azimio la Umoja as the Ukombozi Alliance, with Kalonzo taking the coalition's mobilisation efforts into Nyanza. The Wiper leader's efforts to woo Nyanza voters are seen as a crucial step in consolidating support for the Ukombozi Alliance in the region.
Key points
- Kalonzo Musyoka invokes his past relationship with Raila Odinga to connect with the former opposition leader's support base in Nyanza.
- Musyoka criticises President William Ruto's administration for failing to honour commitments made in a 10-point agreement with Raila Odinga.
- The Wiper leader's visit to Nyanza is part of his mobilisation drive for the Ukombozi Alliance.
