Editor's Review

The DAP-K leader suggested that slogans were not enough to remove President Ruto from office.

The Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa warns that unless the opposition viably strategises, then unseating President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election will be a tall order.

Wamalwa observed that Ruto is a very strong candidate and coming together with ODM leader Raila Odinga bolsters his re-election bid.

Speaking at his home in Trans Nzoia, where he presided over the 22nd memorial of the late Kijana Wamalwa, his late brother and one-time Kenya's vice president, the DAP-K leader suggested that slogans won't succeed against Ruto.

The viable solution is all the opposition principals uniting and shelving their ambitions to settle on a candidate who will be Ruto's match on the presidential ballot.

Wamalwa likened Ruto's regime to that of the late Daniel Moi which had challenged the opposition in the yesteryears.

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"Removing this regime of William Ruto is not going to be easy. It will be like how hard it was to remove the late Daniel Moi in 1992 and 1997. Moi succeeded because the opposition was divided," he said.

Opposition politicians in a past rally. 

The Uhuru Kenyatta-era minister noted that for the mission of making Ruto a one-term president to succeed, then everyone in the opposition will have to be selfless.

He cited his late brother's move to forego his presidential ambition in 2002 to back the late Mwai Kibaki, adding that that is how the opposition won against Moi.

"We must be as selfless as the late Michael Kijana Wamalwa. They succeed because they were ready to sacrifice their ambitions for the greater good of the country," Wamalwa said.

Wamalwa is among the opposition honchos who have declared their presidential bids.

Others in the faction who are also eyeing the top seat are People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, DCP's Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper Party's Kalonzo Musyoka and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, who Jubilee Party of Uhuru has endorsed.

However, despite their individual ambitions, the opposition vowed to stick together to actualise their mission to remove Ruto in 2027.

Gachagua said they would come up with a formula to settle on the strongest candidate.

Meanwhile, Ruto has no challenger in his faction, with the likely support of Raila increasing his chances for re-election.