On Tuesday, January 3, newspapers explored the quiet political maneuvering and behind-the-scenes negotiations expected to affect the 2027 General Election, as debates on IEBC reform and leadership change gather pace.
Source: UGC
1. Daily Nation
According to the publication, the leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DCP) Rigathi Gachagua has launched strong attacks against President William Ruto and retired president Uhuru Kenyatta, saying that they all share the blame for increasing Ruto’s influence in the Mt Kenya region and eventually bringing him to power.
Gachagua said Uhuru made a mistake in 2013 by bringing Ruto into Mt Kenya politics, a move he believes gave Ruto greater freedom and visibility in the region.
He further accepted a personal role in campaigning for Ruto in 2022, saying that his mobilization of Mount Kenya voters was crucial to Ruto’s victory. Gachagua, who was ousted as vice president in October 2024, said he now regrets what he called the “twin tragedy” that made the area poor.
He warned that 2027 would be the time to “correct those mistakes”, promising to mobilize up to eight million votes to ensure Mount Kenya supports another candidate other than Ruto.
Gachagua accused the current government of neglecting the region’s main interests, including education, health services, livelihood and wealth creation, despite billions of shillings (KSh) spent on campaigns and promises.
Ruto, who recently visited Mt Kenya, dismissed what he called ethnic outbursts with no development agenda, stressing that he would not abandon the region that supports him.
2. The Star
The newspaper reports that county governments are pouring in billions of shillings while procurement officials blatantly ignore the law, putting public funds to waste and abuse.
New audit reports by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu show widespread rot in the way counties handle procurement, painting a disturbing picture of systems designed to protect taxpayers rather than enable losses.
Audits show procurement officials ignoring or bending the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, often awarding bids to favored companies that lack the technical or financial capacity to deliver.
As a result, projects have stalled, poor work and a huge waste of public money amounting to billions of Kenyan shillings.
Ironically, many companies benefiting from lucrative county contracts are not qualified to supply goods or services, a clear violation of the law.
In some cases, contracts vary wildly beyond legal boundaries, raising red flags about collusion, favoritism and deliberate manipulation of procurement processes.
The reports also point to counties that have deliberately avoided using the government’s electronic procurement system, which was set up to improve transparency and accountability.
By avoiding this forum, counties have created loopholes that allow public funds to be misused without any consequences.
3. The Standard
According to this newspaper, new details have emerged showing how former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo is quietly working behind the scenes to unite Kenya’s divided opposition ahead of the 2027 General Election, with a proposed meeting between the former president Uhuru Kenyatta and former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua seen as an important step.
The newspaper says Obasanjo met with Uhuru and the Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka on December 31 in Lagos during the Future African Leaders Awards, where Uhuru delivered a keynote speech calling for value-based and responsible leadership across the continent.
On the sidelines, the three are reported to have agreed that defeating Ruto will require one side of the Opposition supporting one presidential candidate.
“The talks between the leaders of the Opposition started since the meeting in Lagos and that is why the United Opposition is now attending meetings together without one of them failing and solidarity will be banned when Uhuru meets Gachagua in public,” the insider said.
Insiders say the planned Uhuru-Gachagua meeting is aimed at ending rumors of a split within the Opposition and reaffirming Jubilee’s commitment to a wider alliance.
“Obasanjo, Uhuru and Kalonzo agreed that a meeting between Uhuru and Gachagua will remove the notion that they are not together in the Opposition. It also ends the growing distrust and commitment of Jubilee in the Opposition,” added the person.
The discussion also touched on how to revive Declaration of Unitywhich is still led by Uhuru, or to create a new political entity, even when some partners left and others, including Jubilee and Wiper, continued.
The talks seem to have eased long-standing tensions, especially between Gachagua and former Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i, whose decision to join Jubilee led to ideological conflicts and accusations of betrayal from rival camps.
While Gachagua prefers to build a new party to control the political base, Matiang’i said Jubilee gave a national perspective.
A recent joint appearance indicates instability. The two leaders attended a party meeting together, later they met informally, and since then they have been sharing platforms in Nyeri, promising unity and one flag candidate in 2027.
Uhuru has also taken steps to punish infighting within the party, replacing the Jubilee leadership and warning allies against personal attacks.
4. Nation Today
According to a Kiswahili newspaper, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s family has held a long-awaited reconciliation meeting, reducing months of internal tension that had threatened to spread within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and creating broad political discussions ahead of the 2027 elections.
The private meeting, held at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County, was aimed at resolving disputes between the family spokesperson and Siaya senator Dr. Oburu Oginga and the group led by his nephew, member of the East African Parliament Winnie Odinga, together with his brother Raila Odinga Junior.
Disagreements centered on ODM’s management and opposition to what Winnie saw as a political deal brokered by President William Ruto’s United Democratic Party (UDA).
Winnie had publicly pressured ODM to release its presidential candidate, citing the position mentioned by her late father Raila Odinga, and opposing the apparent support of Ruto to be re-elected from the leaders united with Dr. Oburu
Within the family, the conflict reflected a larger struggle over political influence, with Odinga’s children eager to preserve the status quo and other relatives seeking more important positions.
The dispute had previously emerged through opposition political discussions, including parallel meetings in Kibra and Kakamega, before the intervention of the wider Jaramogi clan to encourage restraint and internal dialogue.
The appointment of Mama Ida Odinga as Kenya’s ambassador to UNEP also helped calm tensions.
The meeting brought together important family members, including Rosemary Odinga, Kisumu women’s representative Ruth Odinga and surviving widows Susan and Betty Odinga. Mother Ida was not there.
In the end, the situation had calmed down, marked by hugs and warm exchanges. In social media posts, Winnie described the reunion as a time of unity and reflection.
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