Azimio Picks Matiang’i and Orengo to Lead Council as Kalonzo Teases “Super Alliance”

The Azimio La Umoja Coalition has finally filled the gap left by Uhuru Kenyatta, naming Jubilee Party leader Fred Matiang’i and Siaya Governor James Orengo to lead its council. The announcement also came with a hint that the opposition could soon be reorganised under a new political formation.

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka broke the news on Thursday, November 5, while arriving at Kisumu International Airport. Azimio Executive Director Phillip Kisia later backed it up with a written statement. According to the statement, Matiang’i takes the role of Chairman while Orengo serves as Co-Chair of the Council of the Ukombozi Alliance.

Kalonzo said the two leaders were picked because of their long record of public service. He told Kenyans that with the pair at the table, the opposition was ready for the work ahead, and he said the “Komboa Kenya” mission remains the driving force.

The seat became vacant after Uhuru stepped down from the position. His exit followed a court order that bars retired presidents from holding party positions within six months of leaving office. After he left, Azimio hinted that two people could share the seat, and it named Orengo and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua as possible choices. Thursday’s announcement shows Gachagua did not make it.

That detail is likely to draw attention, because the opposition has been battling internal cracks. Leaders have not agreed on who should carry the flag in the next election, even after the principals agreed to front one candidate. Some of them, including Matiang’i and former Attorney General Justin Muturi, have openly accused Gachagua of causing divisions and bullying others.

Gachagua has stuck to his position. He says every principal must work to build their own base and win enough support, instead of waiting to be handed the opposition ticket.

Kalonzo also spoke about a new coalition that the opposition is working on, which he called the Super Alliance. He said it is meant to take on President William Ruto’s broad-based arrangement in 2027. He urged Kenyans to stay calm, saying the new alliance is still being put together, and he claimed the country has had enough of what he called a “predator regime.”