Kalonzo’s Sh25,000 a plate dinner to fire up State House bid

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has unveiled a Sh25,000-a-plate fundraising dinner in Nairobi to raise resources for his 2027 presidential campaign.

The gala dinner, scheduled to be held at a Nairobi hotel, is expected to bring together between 5,000 and 10,000 professionals drawn from Kenya and the diaspora.

The move signals Kalonzo's early planning for the 2027 presidential battle, that some analyst have said is his most realistic chance.

Kalonzo, a two-time running mate of late veteran opposition chief Raila Odinga, is going flat out to make a second stab at the presidency, after a failed bid in 2007.

“You are cordially invited to a distinguished Gala Dinner to witness and support the unveiling of H.E. ,Dr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, EGH, SC, CS, 2027 Presidential Campaign Platform,” an invite card seen by the Star reads.

According to the invite, the high-level function will start at 6pm Saturday and registration per participant capped at Sh25,000.

The deadline for the registration was on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

The Star could not however establish the number of guests who had confirmed participation when the deadline elapsed.

According to Kalonzo ally and Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi, the Saturday dinner is being organised mostly by professional colleagues of the former vice president.

“Some people felt that we should come together, have a cup of tea and also exchange a few things. It is something to have us come together and have a conversation,” Mwangangi told the Star.

Sources within Wiper said the event is targeting business leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and supporters keen on backing Kalonzo's bid for State House.

Professionals living abroad are also expected to participate, with a number of them having already landed in the country ahead of the event.

Some of the invites seen by the Star were addressed to Wiper life members, Machakos county business community and Machakos county professionals.

Mwangangi said that any serious presidential candidate must fundraise noting that presidential campaigns is an expensive undertaking.

“There is no problem in all that, any serious leader previously has done it. Not that this is the first people to do it. All these serious candidates have engaged Kenyans and other partners in their bid to win the country,” Mwangangi who is also a member of the Wiper NEC told the Star on phone.

“It is the way to go.”

Kitui senator Enoch Wambua however downplayed the fundraising bit explaining the event will be more of a dinner where the Wiper boss will launch his presidential website.

“It is a dinner where he (Kalonzo) is going to launch official social media platforms. It is going to be a full house,” Wambua told the Star on phone.

“I have not seen the guest list, a lot of people have been invited. It is a dinner by registration.”

With Ruto considered a wealthy and philanthropic politician, the wiper boss is rolling up his sleeves to fill his purse for the 2027 titanic showdown.

The fundraiser marks one of the earliest large-scale resource mobilisation drives by a presidential contender ahead of the 2027 race.

The 2027 general election is shaping up to be a big money political contests, with analysts predicting a fierce battle of financial muscle between President William Ruto and his challengers.

Ruto and his UDA party enter the race with a significant advantage, backed by a well-established campaign network and access to a sizeable political war chest built over the years.

The incumbent is also bolstered by the cooperation with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the country's two largest political parties and the biggest beneficiaries of public political party funding.

In the current financial year (2025/2026), the two parties received a combined Sh1.2 billion accounting for the bulk of the allocation.

Wiper, according to data from the Registrar of Political Parties, received Sh98 million.

Fundraising dinners have increasingly become a common feature of Kenya's presidential campaigns, with candidates seeking alternative sources of financing amid the high costs associated with nationwide campaigns.

Such events typically provide aspirants with an opportunity to engage supporters while raising funds for campaign logistics, grassroots mobilisation, publicity and organisational activities.

Kalonzo's latest initiative follows a trend where presidential hopefuls have turned to structured fundraising events and diaspora outreach programmes to finance their political ambitions.

In 2013 and 2017, then President Uhuru Kenyatta hired the services of US data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica which was paid millions of shillings.

In the 2013 polls, Raila organised a Sh1 million-a-plate dinner, where guests donated a minimum of Sh1 million.

In the last elections, business tycoons from Mt Kenya organised a multi-million dinner for Raila to finance his 2022 campaigns.

Diaspora tours particularly in Western countries with significant Kenyan populations, have also become a key avenue for mobilising financial support and building international networks.

Kalonzo, who is positioning himself as a leading contender within the opposition ranks, is expected to intensify his engagements with supporters locally and abroad as preparations for the 2027 contest gather momentum.

A number of presidential hopefuls have expressed interests for the opposition and to unseat Ruto who is seeking re-election.

Some of the hopefuls include Fred Matiang’i (Jubilee Party), Martha Karua (PLP), Eugine Wamalwa (DAP-K), Rigathi Gachagua (DCP) and Justine Muturi (Democratic Party).

Linda Mwanachi leader Edwin Sifuna is yet to declare his bid despite pressure from a section of Kenyans that he joins the race.