Ruto Warns Kalonzo and Gachagua: You're Repeating the Opposition's Fatal 2022 Errors in Your Anti-Ruto Push.

 In a pointed critique amid escalating political maneuvering for the 2027 elections, President William Ruto has accused Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of mirroring the disunity and strategic blunders that doomed the opposition's bid against him three years ago. Speaking during a development tour in Machakos County on November 15, 2025—the heart of Kalonzo's Ukambani stronghold—Ruto urged the duo to avoid "internal squabbles and ego clashes" that fractured Azimio la Umoja in 2022, allowing him a narrow victory by just 200,000 votes over the late Raila Odinga. The remarks, delivered at a rally in Kalundu, come as Ruto intensifies courtship of opposition figures like DAP-K's Eugene Wamalwa and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya to isolate Gachagua and dilute the emerging United Opposition coalition.Ruto's comments were unsparing, drawing direct parallels to the Azimio coalition's implosion. "In 2022, the opposition thought they could win by fighting each other—Kalonzo here, Raila there, everyone pulling in different directions. Look where that got them: a loss because unity was sacrificed for personal ambitions," he said, pausing for cheers from the pro-UDA crowd. He specifically chided Kalonzo for "hesitating on real partnerships" and Gachagua for "stirring ethnic fires in Mt Kenya without a broader vision," warning that their current alliance risks the same fate: a divided vote that hands him an easy re-election.

The President positioned his Kenya Kwanza administration as a "big tent" open to all, contrasting it with what he called the opposition's "echo chamber of resentment." Insiders say the timing—midway through Ruto's four-day Ukambani charm offensive—is deliberate, aimed at peeling away Wiper defectors and exploiting rifts in the opposition's nascent lineup, where Kalonzo is eyed as the presidential flagbearer with Natembeya as a potential running mate.Since Gachagua's dramatic ouster in October 2024, he has pivoted to leading the United Opposition, a loose alliance blending Mt Kenya muscle with Ukambani and Western Kenya outreach. Key players include:

Figure	Role/Affiliation	Stance on Ruto
Rigathi Gachagua	DCP Leader, ex-DP	Vows to "end Ruto's one-term rule"; backs Kalonzo but eyes influence
Kalonzo Musyoka	Wiper Leader	Frontrunner for 2027 ticket; rejects Ruto's overtures despite church-led mediation
Eugene Wamalwa	DAP-K Leader	Wooed by Ruto; Gachagua ally but Luhya vote pivotal (tilted 2022 to Ruto)
George Natembeya	Trans Nzoia Governor	Potential deputy to Kalonzo; targeted by Ruto for Western defection
Martha Karua	Narc Kenya Leader	Anti-Ruto hardliner; pushes issue-based campaigns over ethnic deals
Fred Matiang’i	Ex-Interior CS	Jubilee-backed alternative; Gachagua opposes his inclusion

The group has held strategy sessions, including a November 3 church service in Nairobi, vowing a single candidate to "dress-rehearse" Ruto's defeat in ongoing by-elections. Gachagua, who once convinced Mt Kenya to deliver 87% for Ruto in 2022, now apologizes for that "mess" and leads "one-term" chants alongside Kalonzo. Analysts like Herman Manyora argue a Kalonzo-Natembeya ticket, with Gachagua's backing, could flip Luhya votes and challenge Ruto effectively—but only if unified.Yet cracks show: Gachagua's reluctance to fully cede the spotlight to Kalonzo, and reports of Ruto's intermediaries (including clergy and local leaders) bombarding Wiper with defection offers. Gachagua's DCP slammed these as "desperate poaching," recalling how Ruto's 2022 win exploited opposition splits.