Orengo, Matiang'i named co-chairs of Ukombozi Alliance Council

Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has appointed Siaya Governor James Orengo and Jubilee Party presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i as co-chairs of the Ukombozi Alliance Council, in a move signalling renewed efforts to consolidate opposition forces ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Kalonzo announced the appointments yesterday upon his arrival at Kisumu International Airport at the start of his political tour of Migori and Homa Bay counties.

With him was Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa and senior Wiper officials, including Deputy Party Leader Designate Mohammed Ali and Chairman Jamleck Kamau.

Speaking during the occasion, Kalonzo called on Kenyans to remain patient, assuring them that negotiations to establish a broader opposition alliance were progressing despite emerging disagreements among leaders seeking to work together.

“The Super Alliance is in the making. We have chosen two people who have given this country years of service, and they will chair the Council of the Ukombozi Alliance together,” Kalonzo said.

He maintained that the opposition was determined to offer an alternative to President William Ruto’s administration, which he accused of presiding over a predatory political establishment.

“This country has had enough of the predator regime. Komboa Kenya is what we are about, and with Orengo and Matiang’i at the table, we are ready for the work ahead,” he added.

Orengo brings decades of experience in Kenya’s political and constitutional reform struggles. A Senior Counsel, he was among the leading voices in the push for multiparty democracy and was forced into exile in Tanzania in 1981.

He later served as Minister for Lands between 2008 and 2013 before becoming Siaya Senator, a position he held from 2013 to 2022. He was elected governor in August 2022 and also led the legal team in the 2017 presidential election petition that resulted in the Supreme Court nullifying the election.

Matiang’i, on the other hand, brings experience from the executive arm of government, having served in several Cabinet positions under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He joined government in 2013 as Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Technology before taking over the Education docket in November 2015. In July 2017, he was appointed Interior Cabinet Secretary, a position he held until 2022.

He later took over the leadership of the Jubilee Party from Uhuru.

Explaining the appointments, Kalonzo said Orengo had demonstrated commitment to defending the Constitution, while Matiang’i understood how government institutions operate and how to make them deliver.

The appointments come as opposition leaders face growing pressure to overcome internal differences and agree on a common political strategy to challenge Ruto in the 2027 General Election.