Lobby group unveils digital platform to pick opposition's 2027 presidential candidate

A lobby group calling itself the WANTAM Advisory Committee has unveiled a digital platform that it says will allow Kenyans to participate in selecting the opposition's presidential flagbearer for the 2027 General Election.

The committee says the WANTAM Digital Election System is an independent, non-partisan citizens' initiative aimed at giving Kenyans a platform to express their views on who should represent the opposition in the next presidential race.

It has invited all presidential and deputy presidential aspirants opposed to the Kenya Kwanza administration to a stakeholders' meeting on July 22 to discuss the platform ahead of a planned digital selection exercise on July 25 and 26.

According to the committee, the initiative is not affiliated with any politician, political party or coalition and is intended to strengthen public participation in the opposition's candidate selection process.

"Our sole objective is to facilitate meaningful public participation by giving Kenyans a platform to express their views on the leadership they wish to see represent the opposition in the 2027 Presidential Election," read the statement.

The announcement comes amid growing political maneuvering within the opposition, where several leaders are viewed as possible contenders for the 2027 presidential ticket.

They include Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, and former Chief Justice David Maraga, all of whom have been linked, to varying degrees, with efforts to forge a united opposition front.

However, Wiper has sought to clarify that neither it nor the broader opposition coalition is behind the digital exercise.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the party said both the WANTAM initiative and the lobby group behind it have not been sanctioned by the Wiper Patriotic Front, the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition or the United Alternative Government.

"Our attention has been drawn to a digital platform recently unveiled by a lobby group referring to itself as the WANTAM Advisory Committee, purportedly designed to give Kenyans a voice in shaping the Opposition's 2027 presidential flagbearer selection," the statement signed by Wiper leader Kalonzo reads.

Despite distancing itself from the initiative, Wiper said it welcomes efforts that encourage citizen participation in democratic processes, provided they are conducted fairly and transparently.

The party said any platform conducting opinion polling should adhere to internationally recognised standards on methodology, sampling and weighting, with results published transparently.

Wiper further stated that the official process for selecting the opposition's presidential flagbearer will be communicated through recognised channels at the appropriate time.

"The Wiper Patriotic Front, Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, and the United Alternative Government in Waiting will communicate the official process for flagbearer selection through proper and recognized channels in due course," Kalonzo said.