MAKUENI —A dusty field in Makueni, usually a quiet patch of eastern Kenya, turned into a political theatre last week. Deputy president Kithure Kindiki stood before a small crowd, flanked by local officials, pitching government projects and pledging better days. The location was no accident.
Makueni is a known opposition stronghold, and Kindiki’s visit ostensibly to launch development initiatives was widely seen as a calculated attempt to soften the ground for President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 general election.
“We’re not just talking politics,” Kindiki said. “We are here to bring results, real development.”
But for many locals, that promise rings hollow.
A Nation Still Mourning
Just over a year ago, Kenya saw its biggest wave of youth-led protests in a decade. Sparked by a controversial Finance Bill, the demonstrations largely led by Gen Z and millennial activists ended in tragedy. Over 60 people died in clashes with police, according to human rights groups. The government insists security forces acted with restraint, but survivors and families of the victims tell a different story.
Kalonzo Musyoka, leader of the Wiper Party and a key voice in the Azimio coalition, has been unrelenting in his criticism.
“You can’t tax your way out of poverty while burying your own children,” Musyoka said at a recent rally. “We warned them. But they didn’t listen.”
He opposed the bill, which raised the cost of essential goods like fuel and bread amid already crushing inflation. Though the government rolled out new infrastructure projects shortly after, they have done little to ease daily struggles.
The Battle for the Kamba Vote
Kindiki’s visit was also a political litmus test. The Kamba vote, long considered loyal to Musyoka, is now in play. Insiders suggest President Ruto hopes to chip away at that base following tensions with his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua. The once-solid Kenya Kwanza alliance is showing cracks, and the President is looking elsewhere to shore up support.
The stakes couldn’t be higher.
“We’re watching a realignment unfold before our eyes,” said political analyst Wanjiku, speaking from Nairobi. “And everyone is asking: where does Uhuru Kenyatta stand in all this?”
The Uhuru Factor
Kenya’s former president has mostly stayed out of the limelight since leaving office in 2022. But behind the scenes, Uhuru Kenyatta has been anything but silent.
As chair of the Azimio coalition, Kenyatta is reportedly playing kingmaker’s role in the opposition’s plans for 2027. His allies are already on the ground. Jubilee, the party he once led while in power, is back in campaign mode hosting grassroots events and recruiting new faces. Fred Matiang’i, a former interior cabinet secretary has been presented as Jubilee Party presidential candidate for the 2027 elections and a man known for his no-nonsense approach. The reappearance of Matiangi has created whirlwinds in the political space as he is reported to control significant voting influence with estimates over 1million voter support. With the endorsement of Uhuru Kenyatta eyes are set on the 2027 ballot.
Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni revealed that Jubilee Party settled on a presidential candidate outside the Mount Kenya where it enjoys much support having bagged 28 seats in the 2022 general seats with majority of them from the region. Kioni disclosed that the Former Interior Cabinet Secretary is well suited to clinch the topmost seat and oust President Ruto in the next polls
“We need discipline, order, and accountability,” said Eugene Wamalwa, an Uhuru loyalist and member of Azimio. “And that’s why we’re calling for a leadership change.”
Wamalwa accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of stoking fear, referencing alleged government-linked harassment, forced disappearances, and even attacks on property owned by the former president’s family. The state denies these claims. Eugene Wamalwa reiterated that the state machinery handled the Gen Z protest unlawfully and that promises set by Kenya Kwanza administration no longer adheres to its manifesto fronted to the citizens of Kenya during its campaign at a public rally.
Assassination Claims and High-Stakes Drama
In one of the most explosive allegations this year, Deputy President Gachagua DCP party leader claimed there was a plan to assassinate him after a church service in Nyeri. He blamed unnamed individuals close to the president. No evidence has been presented, and State House has not publicly addressed the claim.
“It’s not just about politics anymore,” Gachagua said. “This is a fight for the soul of our nation.”
He has found support in unlikely corners among those who, like him, feel sidelined by Ruto’s inner circle. The result? A power structure that looks increasingly unstable, even as loyalists like Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen defend the government’s record.
Gachagua DAP party leader and former deputy president had a fallout with the president of Kenya William Ruto on claims of ethnic politics and division and the famous ‘murima’ narrative referring to the mount Kenya voting block .Since his ouster he continues to rally support for DAP party and consolidating support from the mount Kenya region and opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka Wiper party leader and Eugene Wamalwa Democratic Action Party leader and Jubilee presidential aspirant Fred Matiangi.
“This administration has delivered more roads, more water, and more jobs than any before it,” Murkomen told a local station last week. “Let the people judge.”
What Lies Ahead
With the IEBC the electoral body now stocked with newly approved commissioners, despite a High Court injunction, questions about the fairness of the 2027 elections are already being asked. The new team is set to be led by Erastus Edung Ethekon as Chairperson, and Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Arafat Abdallah as members of the IEBC . Critics say the process was rushed and politically motivated. Parliament disagrees.
Uhuru Kenyatta, meanwhile, has kept the nation guessing.
Will he back a seasoned opposition figure like Kalonzo? Or throw his weight behind someone younger perhaps even a Gen Z or millennial aspirant who can ride the wave of youth anger and discontent?
“That’s the wild card,” said Wanjiku, the analyst. “If he empowers a new face, it could change everything.”
Kenya’s political road ahead is long, winding, and uncertain. But one thing is clear: with public frustration growing, economic hardship deepening, and alliances shifting, the race to 2027 is already well underway.
And as always in Kenya, it won’t just be about the candidates. It will be about who can tell the most convincing story of the past, the present, and the promise of something better.
