Mukhisa Kituyi picked as United Opposition’s spokesperson as the 2027 battle lines against Ruto are drawn

The United Opposition has picked Former UN trade chief Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi as their new spokesperson and Head of Secretariat as they seek to marshal a formidable force and aligned political messaging against President William Ruto’s quest to retain power during the 2027 General Elections.

Kituyi was unveiled as the face of a coalition of parties seeking to build a formidable challenge against Ruto after a day-long joint strategy meeting of opposition leaders.

Last evening, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who is also the leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) confirmed Kituyi’s appointment.

“The United Opposition has appointed Hon. Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi as their spokesperson and the Head of the Opposition Secretariat,” he wrote on X.

The United Opposition leaders include Gachagua (DCP), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Party), Martha Karua (People’s Liberation Party) Eugene Wamalwa (Democratic Action Party–Kenya) Justin Muturi (Democratic Party) and Jubilee Party represented by chairman Torome Saitoti and backed by former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

Although the alliance has yet to formalise its structure, its leaders, among them Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Karua, Wamalwa, Matiang’i, Muturi, Kituyi and former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi have been meeting frequently to tighten their ranks and project unity.

They seek to unseat President Ruto come 2027 but the president has downplayed their efforts saying they have no agenda for Kenya.

This comes even as the Ruto’s led Kenya Kwanza administration which has since co-opted Raila Odinga’s ODM party under the broad-based arrangement continue to face mounting rebellion over high cost of living, youth unemployment and rising corruption.

Since mid-2024, Kenyans, especially Generation Z have taken to the streets under the slogan #RutoMustGo, opposing the controversial Finance Bill that proposed tax increases on everyday items. This movement, largely youth-led and decentralized, forced Ruto to eventually abandon the bill.

However, public anger has persisted.

This year, protests escalated following the death of Albert Ojwang, a teacher-cum-blogger in police custody at Central Police Station in Nairobi in one of the murder most foul through strangulation after he was picked up from his home in Homa Bay county

By July this year, at least 31 people were killed during demonstrations in a crackdown that alarmed human rights groups and widened distrust in the government.

Even as President Ruto continues to consolidate his support nationally despite falling out with the now restive but rich vote Central Kenya region, his perceived aggressive tax policies and disquiet overrising corruption levels have deeply eroded his support, with many labeling him “one-term” and accusing him of betraying his earlier populist “hustler” campaign.

With now Kituyi on board as the face of the United Opposition, best known for steering the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for eight years, from 2013 to 2021, opposition’s political messaging and rallying support from the international community is expected to tilt the political scales in the country ahead of the 2027 presidential polls.

Before his international posting, Kituyi held senior roles at home, including Minister for Trade and Industry in President Mwai Kibaki’s administration, and earlier, Member of Parliament for Kimilili for 15 years.

During his long political career, Kituyi emerged as a strong debater and negotiator. He once served as Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament and chaired the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee.

On the regional front, he was at the centre of major trade negotiations, chairing councils of African and COMESA trade ministers and leading talks at the World Trade Organization during the Doha Round.

The coalition that has brought him on board is still a loose arrangement, but it groups together six parties:

Yesterday’s gathering was as much about consolidating the group as it was about public messaging.

Attendees sought to quell speculation of internal rifts by presenting Kituyi as the coalition’s face, while also planning upcoming joint activities, including a rally in Kisii next week.

Insiders said the meeting also gave leaders a chance to take stock after Gachagua’s recent declaration of interest in the presidency.

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, who attended, said the talks were meant to “iron out issues of coordination” and to show the public that “the opposition remains united.”

For the coalition, bringing in Kituyi signals a move to elevate its image beyond local politics by drawing on his global experience in governance and trade diplomacy. His appointment is expected to provide both credibility and strategic direction as the opposition seeks to craft a common ticket for 2027.