Kenya Insights

Tag: united opposition

  • Millicent Omanga Dumps Ruto’s UDA Aligns With Gachagua

    Millicent Omanga Dumps Ruto’s UDA Aligns With Gachagua

    Businesswoman and former Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga has officially broken ranks with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and declared her alignment with the United Opposition.

    Omanga, who has been a long-time UDA loyalist and a vocal supporter of President William Ruto in the 2022 elections, however, stopped short of announcing the political party she will contest under.

    Instead, she openly declared her support for key opposition figures, including Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, Jubilee Party’s Fred Matiang’i, and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

    She further confirmed that she will once again seek the Nairobi County Woman Representative seat in 2027, a position she narrowly lost in the last general election.

    Addressing supporters, Omanga acknowledged the backing she received from the Mt Kenya community during the 2022 polls, saying their support had inspired her decision to make another bid.

    “I am so impressed with the community from Mt Kenya because you gave me 600, 000 votes in Nairobi in 2022. I want to say thank you. just fell short by a small number, but this time around, in 2027, I will still be contesting for the seat,” she said.

    Omanga expressed confidence that the opposition’s emerging unity would significantly boost her chances, pointing to what she described as growing ethnic and political cohesion among key regions.

    “And this time all cousins will be together. It will not be just 600, 000, we will have other cousins on board. You have seen Fred Matiang’i bringing the Gusii community together. He (Matiang’i) is coming to unite with his cousins from Mt Kenya. And from Eastern, Kalonzo Musyoka has united his people also,” she said.

    She also took a swipe at the current political establishment, urging voters to accept handouts while remaining politically independent.

    “Those who want to give you money, take it. That is your money they are giving you, your taxes. You have heard you MPs have camped at State House where they get handouts. And I speak from a point of knowledge,” Omanga said.

    The remarks were made on February 7, 2026, in Gatundu South after Gachagua introduced her during the traditional dowry payment ceremony for Ann and Aloise Kinyanjui.

    Earlier, on February 6, Omanga had publicly confirmed her intention to run for the Nairobi Woman Representative seat, saying the decision followed consultations with her supporters.

    “Many people have been asking what my plan is for 2027. I will be on the ballot for the Nairobi Women Representative position.I will be with my people. I hear you, and we are together in this,” she stated.

    Omanga joins a crowded race to succeed incumbent Esther Passaris, who has declared she will not defend her seat in 2027. Other potential contenders include Nominated Senators Karen Nyamu, Tabitha Mutinda, Crystal Asige, activist Hanifa Adan, and social media personality Maverick Aoko.

  • United Opposition Left Weakened After By-Election Losses

    United Opposition Left Weakened After By-Election Losses

    The political calculations of Kenya’s United Opposition have suffered a jarring reset. What former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his allies envisioned as a triumphant opening salvo against President William Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid has instead exposed cracks in their coalition’s foundation.

    The opposition suffered a clean sweep in all seven parliamentary by-elections held on November 27, managing to secure only a few ward seats   while Ruto’s broad-based government claimed victories across all major constituencies .

    The results have triggered uncomfortable questions about the opposition’s readiness to mount a credible challenge to the incumbent.

    Mbeere North became the centrepiece of this political theatre.

    The constituency, carved from Mt Kenya’s heartland, transformed into a proxy war between Gachagua and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki. UDA’s Leonard Muthende narrowly defeated the opposition’s Newton Kariuki by almost 500 votes  in what had been touted as an opposition stronghold. The symbolism was unmistakable. Where Gachagua had promised dominance, he delivered disappointment.

    The losses extended beyond Mt Kenya. In Malava, where Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi deployed his political machinery, UDA’s David Ndakwa secured 21,564 votes against DAP-K’s Seth Panyako who received 20,210 . At the Coast, ODM maintained its dominance, winning in Magarini constituency  where the united opposition had hoped to make inroads.

    Gachagua’s response oscillated between defiance and deflection. While acknowledging defeat, he attempted to reframe the narrative, describing the Magarini result as giving his party an entry point into the Coast region.

    Yet his claims of State-sponsored violence and voter manipulation rang hollow against the cold arithmetic of ballot tallies. The opposition blamed hooliganism, bribery and intimidation, but analysts argue these complaints mask deeper strategic failures.

    Political analyst Dismas Mokua suggested the results confirm that Gachagua’s efforts to make Ruto a one-term president have faced turbulence . The opposition’s philosophical challenge has become apparent. They have mobilized around grievance rather than governance, around the person of Gachagua rather than policy alternatives.

    The fragmentation within opposition ranks adds another layer of vulnerability. Observers suggest the by-elections have given the United Opposition a platform to review Gachagua’s role as de facto leader, potentially uniting Kalonzo Musyoka and Fred Matiang’i against him . Leadership disputes could fracture the coalition before it gains momentum.

    President Ruto wasted no time leveraging his victories. Speaking in Limuru the day after results were announced, he mocked the opposition’s reliance on slogans like “Wantam” and “Must Go” while boasting that his broad-based government swept all contested seats. His message was pointed: elections are won through planning and delivery, not noise and protests.

    For Ruto, the outcome holds significant political weight as he aims to weaken or split the opposition while preparing for his 2027 re-election bid .

    President William Ruto at a past event.
    President William Ruto at a past event.

    The partnership with ODM within his broad-based government has proven strategically valuable, allowing him to consolidate support beyond his traditional base even as his Mt Kenya grip appears contested.

    The violence that marred several polling stations presents its own cautionary tale.

    Clashes in Malava, Kasipul and Banisa, including torched vehicles, signal the possibility of more unrest in 2027 unless credible polls are guaranteed .

    The electoral environment is becoming increasingly volatile, with both sides accusing each other of deploying goons and state resources.

    For the United Opposition, the path forward demands more than recalibration. The coalition must develop substantive policy positions that resonate beyond regional grievances.

    They must settle internal power struggles and present a unified command structure. Most critically, they must demonstrate they can win not just on sympathy for Gachagua’s impeachment but on the strength of an alternative national vision.

    These by-elections were meant to be the opposition’s coming-out moment, proof that anti-Ruto sentiment had coalesced into electoral force.

    Instead, they revealed a movement still searching for its identity, struggling to translate discontent into votes. With 2027 approaching, time is running short for a coalition built more on what it opposes than what it proposes.

    The results have granted Ruto breathing room and political momentum. They have left the opposition grappling with the uncomfortable realization that outrage alone does not guarantee victory. In Kenyan politics, the cheese has indeed moved, and the opposition finds itself scrambling to catch up.