Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has said Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka stands no chance of winning the presidency and should instead join the ruling camp and support President William Ruto, The Star, Kenya reports. Speaking on Citizen TV's Sunday Live programme, the senator said he had not yet spoken to Kalonzo directly but planned to reach out and try to persuade him to switch sides. His remarks were reported on Monday, 9 November 2026.
Olekina said he holds the former vice-president in high regard, noting the two spent years together in the opposition, but argued that Kalonzo should rethink his political path and work with the government instead.
Why it matters
The comments land in the middle of a realignment of Kenyan politics ahead of the 2027 General Election, set in motion by a cooperation agreement between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Olekina's intervention matters for two reasons. First, he is a sitting senator publicly writing off the prospects of one of the country's most recognisable opposition figures. Second, he is himself an example of the shift underway: a one-time vocal critic of the President who now makes the case for working with him.
His remarks also carry weight because of how he explained his own change of position, tying it to the late ODM leader Raila Odinga and to development gains in his county.
Senator says Kalonzo should help Ruto finish his term
In the interview, Olekina was blunt about Kalonzo's electoral prospects. According to The Star, Kenya, he said there were "no chances" of the Wiper leader capturing the presidency, while stressing that this view came with respect rather than hostility.
He said he still believes Kalonzo could come into their camp, work with them, and support Ruto through the remaining five years of his term.
Olekina acknowledged that no conversation had taken place yet. He said he intended to make contact and make his case personally.
The senator also took aim at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's stewardship of the opposition. In his view, Gachagua's impeachment left him unfit to lead others, and he said the former deputy president had no realistic path to contesting the top seat. He characterised Gachagua's dealings with his followers as built on an expectation of loyalty that is not questioned.
Raila's visit and a change of heart
Olekina, who previously criticised the President openly, traced his own shift to Raila Odinga. He said the late ODM leader flew to his home before the cooperation agreement was signed at KICC and asked him to gather roughly 300 Maasai for consultations on working with Ruto. Olekina said he brought people from Kajiado, Nakuru and Narok counties.
According to his account, Raila explained that he wanted to partner with Ruto in order to bring the country together, and those consulted agreed to back the arrangement.
The senator offered a second justification: delivery in Narok. He pointed to tarmac roads running through Leshota to the Kenya-Tanzania border as evidence that cooperation with the government had produced results for his constituents. He argued that development requires engaging with the administration, since the people who execute the national budget sit in government.
"When you decide to be intentional about the development of my people, then you become my business," he said, as reported by The Star, Kenya.
The shift is a notable one. In September 2025, Olekina publicly attacked spending on State House lunches and county visits, describing them as wasteful and of little value in creating jobs or building infrastructure. He called on Ruto at the time to halt county visits and State House lunches for 100 days and to adopt digital town halls instead.
What to watch
Whether Olekina follows through on his stated plan to approach Kalonzo directly, and how the Wiper leader responds, will be the next signal of how far the ODM-UDA cooperation is reshaping Kenya's political map before 2027.
