There's something called the Kalonzo doctrine
Columnists
By
Mark Oloo
| Oct 31, 2026
Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party has no shortage of ‘good talkers’ in its highest ranks. If you thought ODM had the finest political yappers like Mr Judas Iscariot or the failed lawyer from Homa Bay town, think again.
Today, a political roller-coaster is unfolding inside Wiper, with Governor Wavinya Ndeti and known grandstanders such as Senator Dan Maanzo leading the charge.
There’s a hushed push that Mr Musyoka must be on the presidential ballot, or his camp will rally behind President William Ruto in 2027. This egotistic ultimatum, you’d agree, leaves zero room for a third option.
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Whenever handed the mic, Ms Ndeti sweats trying to deny that her party leader is warming up to the Kenya Kwanza bandwagon. She also blames UDA for scheming to undermine Mr Musyoka’s influence among the Kamba.
Fascinatingly, the aggressive defence of Mr Musyoka isn’t confined to Wiper ranks. We’ve read opinion articles in local dailies in which former UDA chairman Johnstone Muthama makes a case for the Wiper leader.
So, are Wiper and its sympathisers drawing the line in the sand or merely testing the waters? Either way, their new demand makes for very interesting times. I would argue that it reinforces the suspicion that the good man from Tseikuru basically wants to scuttle the opposition.
With the ticket slipping beyond his reach amid the Linda Mwananchi wave, Mr Musyoka goes to Wamunyoro for ‘teambuilding’ but his heart lies elsewhere. He knows that beyond 2027, his relevance will be gone. But to his supporters, how do you entrust your hopes to a man whose political trademark is consistent inconsistency?
Truth is truth. Mr Musyoka has no drive or will to spear the animal. This week, President Ruto dealt a lethal final blow to the Wiper chief’s presidential bid during a tour of Lower Eastern. He ordered the tarmacking of the road to Tseikuru. Call it a political stroke of genius!
The road, we are told, had remained a stretch of mud and dust since independence. It means that from now on, the Wiper leader has egg permanently on his face. He failed the ‘charity begins at home’ test. He can’t challenge Ruto with a straight face, let alone present himself as fit enough to be president.
Let me ask again: Does Mr Musyoka genuinely want the presidency, or is he merely posturing? What has prevented him from being the automatic opposition flagbearer? At 71, his holier-than-though approach won’t work. He has failed to step into enigma Raila Odinga’s shoes, and will be remembered as the man who let history pass him by.
As for working with Ruto, Mr Musyoka should stop playing coy and cross the floor now. But seeking a seat he can’t win or waiting until the eleventh hour to change camps will earn him total ignominy. He won’t believe it. Ever wondered why Azimio subjected him to interviews during the search for a running mate in 2022?
Truth be told, Mr Musyoka is playing in a match where Ruto holds almost all the cards. Likewise, weighed against Senator Edwin Sifuna, Mr Musyoka easily passes for a political rookie. He has little appeal among Gen Z, his grip on the Kamba vote is far from guaranteed, and his lengthy public life leaves the voter severely fatigued.
The former vice-president’s advisers, one of whom is my old friend, should tell him it is time to retire. Otherwise, the likes of lawyer Nzau Musau will have to explain why they remained silent as the legacy Mr Musyoka tried to build since the Nyayo era went up in smoke.
The Wiperman’s 2027 ambition is akin to emptying the ocean with a bucket. He has a single survival route called the ‘Kalonzo doctrine’ of one leg in, the other out. It’s a tactic that makes for a fascinating research thesis. But give it to him, Mr Musyoka political longevity and level-headedness are highly impressive.
Finally, what did DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua mean when he predicted that one opposition principal would cross the aisle? Let me grab my popcorns!
-The writer is a communications practitioner.