Fred Matiang’i has played down reports of divisions within Kenya’s United Opposition, saying differences among its leaders are part of the process of building a political alliance ahead of the 2027 election.
The Jubilee presidential aspirant said the coalition was not designed around a single leader who directs the others. Instead, he described it as a group of independent politicians still working towards becoming a united political team.
“I cannot say there is infighting,” Matiang’i said in an interview with K24.
“Siwezi kusema kwamba kuna mvutano. What is there is differences in opinions, which is okay. What is democracy anyway?”
His comments come as opposition leaders compete to shape the coalition and influence the eventual choice of a presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto in 2027.
Matiang’i said the coalition should not be expected to have a leader before its members have agreed on how the broader team will work.
“It cannot be that United Opposition is like a seminary, there is mother superior,” he said. “United Opposition does not have a coach, supervisor, high priest or somebody who is above everybody. We are leaders who have come together.”
He compared the process to forming a sports team, arguing that the opposition should first establish itself as a cohesive political force before selecting its captain.
“We are in the process of turning the group into a team, and then this team will have a captain,” he said. “You first form a team, then pick the captain, but you cannot pick the captain then form the team.”
The coalition’s leadership question has become increasingly important as several senior opposition figures position themselves for the 2027 contest. Matiang’i is among those seeking the presidential ticket, alongside other prominent opposition figures, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has also emerged as an influential figure within the opposition through his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP). He has been conducting political consultations in the Mt Kenya region while discussing how the opposition should settle on a candidate for the presidency.
Gachagua has previously said he would support an opposition candidate chosen through an agreed process, even if that candidate were not himself.
At the same time, his growing political activity has fuelled debate over the balance of power within the opposition, particularly over the role of DCP in the Mt Kenya region.
For Matiang’i, however, disagreements do not necessarily signal a breakdown.
The immediate challenge, he suggested, is to turn a collection of political interests into a functioning team. Only then, he said, should the coalition decide who will lead it into the 2027 election.
The question now is whether the opposition can maintain that unity as the race for its presidential ticket becomes more intense.
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