Inside Kalonzo's 2027 strategy to beat President Ruto

After postponing his presidential bid for 15 years, Kalonzo believes he qualifies to inherit Raila's political base and successfully challenge President Ruto's reelection.

The former Vice President has started countrywide political tours, is expanding local and international political networks and setting up a campaign centre, complete with state-of-the art equipment for a secretariat.

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, Kalonzo's close ally, said the Ruto team should brace for a do-or-die political duel.

"Yes, I know my party leader is in the process of expanding his networks, locally, regionally and internationally,” Wambua told the Star. 

Kalonzo is also believed to enjoy the support of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Jubilee wing associated with Uhuru remains firmly in Azimio.

There are also speculations that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua may bolt out and join the Kalonzo team towards 2027.

According to Wambua, Kalonzo is reaching out to partners to bolster and bankroll his campaigns.

“He is reaching out to friends and partners who previously worked with him. The response is really impressive. He is having a lot of engagements with members of the diplomatic corps.

“Their response is very good. He is reaching out to other players in the political field in the country,” he said.

In what is seen as part of Kalonzo's strategy not to unsettle Raila's bases, the Wiper boss has shunned speaking negatively against the African Union Commission candidate and instead decided to be diplomatic.

In his bid to once more throw his political hat into the ring, Kalonzo is also banking on the support of ODM leaders who are not keen on joining the broad-based government.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is already gravitating towards Kalonzo’s camp.

The youthful lawmaker has distanced himself from the broad-based government and vowed to remain in the opposition.

The ex-Vice President, who is keen on riding on the anti-government sentiment especially associated with Gen Z, is striving to position himself as the joint opposition candidate in the next elections.

Already, Azimio co-principals have unanimously backed the Wiper leader to step in as the coalition leader replacing Raila, who is eyeing the African AUC chairmanship.

"If a leader [Raila] has said he is taking a backseat in local politics, do we sit back and allow this oppressive regime to continue oppressing Kenyans without anyone saying anything?" Wambua said.

In a statement shortly after the official launch of Raila's candidature at State House last week, Azimio leaders led by DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa said they have confidence in Kalonzo's leadership.

“In Azimio, there will be no vacuum. We are several constituent parties of Azimio, and we’ve been very blessed to have very serious leadership in our coalition. As he [Raila] leaves, the next ranking member of the leadership of our coalition is the Hon Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka,” the former Defence CS said.

“We have, by consensus, and I believe many of us who are in this coalition, have all consented to him taking over the leadership of our coalition. We have great faith in his leadership; he is experienced as the second highest-ranking leader in our coalition.”

Since then, the Wiper boss has embarked on cross-country tours, milking  the anti-government wave to position himself as the only alternative to save the country from high taxation.

The Wiper leader has lined up countywide visits in the coming weeks to endear himself to Kenyans ahead of 2027.

“We have just returned from Mombasa. We had serious engagement there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Wambua said.

The senator added that Kalonzo was headed to different parts of the country, with Kajiado, Western Kenya, Kisii and Nyamira being his next stops.

“We will be heading to northeastern region very soon,” Wambua said.

“What we are doing now is just trying to harmonise those programmes and decide where we would start and move out. So, yes, we are on the go.” 

The agenda is apparently to win over Raila's traditional bastions and endear himself to voters while riding on the perceived wave of disaffection sweeping parts of the country. But Raila has not publicly endorsed Kalonzo.

Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi told the Star that the former Vice President will be pitching tent in all the 47 counties as he popularises his candidature.

“This will be a campaign like no other. We will be hitting the ground in all the counties as we drum support for our candidate,” Mwangangi said.

Kalonzo is also revamping SKM Command Centre and has hired advisers. It will be Azimio’s nerve centre for the 2027 campaigns.

“The command centre is being reconfigured to accommodate the Azimio secretariat. As Azimio, we have no office. The first thing to do is to give [Azimio] an office, a base from where we can operate,” Wambua said.

The former Vice President has tapped some of the technocrats who worked for the Azimio presidential campaigns as part of his strategy to rebrand himself.

“There is also the setting up of proper communication infrastructure, which will be up and running in the shortest time possible,” Wambua stated.

Kalonzo, who first ran for President in 2007 on the ODM Kenya ticket, is under pressure from his Ukambani backyard to take a second stab at State House.

Apart from the vast experience of a distinguished career as senior state officer, Kalonzo has also developed international networks that are key in his quest.

His Ukambani backyard insists he must run for the country's top job after sacrificing three times for Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

The Wiper leader supported Raila in 2013 and 2017 as running mate. In 2022, he was relegated from the second-in-command in favour of Narc Kenya boss Martha Karua.

Machakos Deputy Governor Mwangagi said Kalonzo must be on the ballot in 2027, adding that the former Vice President has what it takes to lead the country.

“Definitely, it is his time. This is the best President this country has never had,” Mwangangi said.

Makueni MP Dan Maanzo said the former Vice President is ripe for the country's top job, insisting that 2027 will be his time.

He, however, said the Wiper boss must go to the people to win support across the country.

Maanzo said there are plans to rebrand Azimio and position it as an alternative following the ‘exit’ of ODM from the opposition coalition.

“Kalonzo has to go to the people himself. He is already vying and we will rebrand the coalition now that ODM has one leg in government and another in Azimio,” he said.

“Right now Kalonzo has been proposed as a presidential candidate by Wiper.”