Mavoko Member of Parliament Patrick Makau Speaking at Kinanie on Monday when he led a bursary issuance exercise. Photo by Courtesy. 
By Andrew Mbuva
Mavoko Member of Parliament Patrick Makau has taken a sharp swipe at Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks he made concerning Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s presidential bid.
Speaking at Kinanie on Monday when he led a bursary issuance exercise, Makau accused the former Deputy President of pushing a narrative aimed at politically confining Kalonzo Musyoka to Ukambani and undermining his national stature.
Makau was responding to Gachagua’s assertion that Kalonzo must deliver at least four million votes from Ukambani to earn the flag bearer position of a proposed United Opposition alliance.
“I have heard some people recently saying that unless Kalonzo delivers four million votes, he should not be given the flag bearer position,” Makau said. “We know their hidden agenda. They want to confine Kalonzo to Ukambani so that he does not travel outside to seek votes.”
The Mavoko MP strongly defended Kalonzo’s credentials, insisting that the Wiper leader is a national figure with the capacity to campaign and attract support across the country.
“Let me make it clear—Kalonzo is a national leader. He can campaign in Turkana, Samburu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Mandera, Mombasa, Lamu, Kisumu, Baringo—everywhere. His votes are not limited to Ukambani,” Makau stated.
Makau further warned that framing Kalonzo’s candidature around regional vote arithmetic was counterproductive and harmful to his presidential prospects.
“Anyone who says Kalonzo must only bring votes from Ukambani is the biggest enemy of Kalonzo becoming President of this country,” he added, noting that Kalonzo had served Kenya at the highest levels of leadership, including as Vice President.
“Hon. Dr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka is not a person you can order to go back and only collect votes from Ukambani. He has served this country with distinction.”
When attending a recent burial ceremony in Kathiani, Machakos County,, Gachagua made remarks directed at the Kamba community, describing their vote as the “most dependable” in Kenya due to their loyalty to Kalonzo Musyoka’s political direction.
“In the last election, he was neither President nor Deputy President, yet you voted where he directed you,” Gachagua told mourners.
However, Gachagua argued that loyalty alone would not be sufficient in determining the opposition’s flag bearer, noting that several leaders—including Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Eugene Wamalwa, George Natembeya, Martha Karua, and Okiya Omtatah—harbour presidential ambitions.
“We will sit at the table, and everyone will defend themselves,” Gachagua said, adding that Kalonzo would present his record as a former Vice President, a lawyer, and a leader associated with major national milestones such as Vision 2030, free primary education, and the introduction of M-Pesa.
Yet, Gachagua insisted that numerical strength would be decisive.
“When he comes to the table, he must place his votes on the table,” Gachagua said. “If he comes with one and a half million votes and I have six million, will I listen to him? But if he comes with four million, then we will say, ‘Now you are talking.’”
He challenged the Kamba community to boost voter registration in Ukambani, arguing that this would strengthen Kalonzo’s bargaining power within the opposition coalition.
Makau, however, rejected this framing, maintaining that Kalonzo’s appeal and leadership transcend regional boundaries and should be assessed on national leadership credentials rather than regional vote quotas.
The exchange underscores growing tensions within the opposition as early manoeuvres over the 2027 presidential race intensify, with questions of regional strength, national appeal, and coalition arithmetic increasingly coming to the fore.
