By DENIS LUBANGA
With the clock ticking toward the August 2027 General Election, the United Opposition has been rocked by fresh political tremors following allegations of “moles” infiltrating its ranks to sabotage the formation from within.
The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader, Rigathi Gachagua, has publicly accused Jubilee Party Deputy Leader (Operations) Jeremiah Kioni of being an operative for the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Gachagua claims Kioni is being used as a strategic tool to sow discord among the coalition’s top brass.
“You (Kioni) are pretending to be part of the opposition, but in reality, you have been strategically placed there by the NIS to divide leaders. You want to create divisions between myself, Kalonzo Musyoka, and Fred Matiang’i,” Gachagua declared during a recent rally in Ng’araria, Kandara Constituency.
Despite these accusations, Gachagua maintained that the principals remain steadfast. “Kenyans have told us to send President William Ruto home. We are engaging to front a single presidential candidate to face him at the ballot,” he added.
A Conflict of Strategy
Gachagua’s remarks follow a series of public statements by Kioni that appear to contradict the United Opposition’s goals. In September 2025, Kioni warned the coalition against fielding a presidential candidate from the Mt. Kenya region, arguing it would play directly into President Ruto’s hands.
“If we field a candidate from the Mountain, we split the bloc, giving Ruto an expressway to victory,” Kioni explained in a radio interview. He further stirred the pot by claiming that Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah is the only lawmaker in the region likely to survive the UDA wave in 2027.
This has brushed off Gachagua, who is currently consolidating his DCP vehicle in Central Kenya, identifying rising figures like Owen Ndung’u to challenge UDA strongholds.
Defending the Coalition’s Unity
DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala termed Kioni’s remarks “unfortunate” and “reckless,” suggesting that advancing an opponent’s narrative is, in itself, the mark of a mole.
“We agreed that each principal would market their bid in their respective backyards before converging to agree on a single ticket,” Malala explained. “For Kioni to insinuate betrayal is irresponsible. We are moving in different directions to cover more ground efficiently, but the government is using NIS agents to push a narrative that we are fragmented.”
The Sifuna Factor and the ‘Third Stream’
Kioni, meanwhile, suggested that the opposition should look toward “new-school” leaders, praising ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna for “exciting” the country. He cautioned that while the current principals have strong ethnic backings—Kalonzo in Ukambani and Matiang’i in Gusii—they lack the national “eyes and ears” that Sifuna’s group has managed to capture.
Suba South MP and Linda Mwananchi spokesperson Caroli Omondi observed that the path to victory requires a “round one knockout” of 16 million votes.
“The reality is that change comes at a cost. We must accommodate both legacy and new-school politicians,” Omondi said. “If the opposition remains united and aligns with the Gen Z movement, we will see results by daybreak. We view Gachagua as a serious player, and we expect to be at the same negotiation table soon.”
