With the August 2027 elections approaching, several new opposition factions have emerged, all working to unseat President Ruto. Many believe unity is the only real way forward, since history shows incumbents rarely lose especially with state resources and machinery on their side. Kenyans have echoed this, pushing opposition leaders to come together as they did in 2002, with a grand coalition that ultimately swept the incumbent party KANU, out of power.
At his State of the Nation address at Ufungamano House on 16 June, Maraga made one of his clearest statements yet on opposition unity. “I believe in opposition unity,” he told the gathering, but was careful to define the kind he means. “This opposition unity must be built on a convergence of values and not appetites,” he said. He empasized that simply removing President Ruto was not enough if the next government repeats the same patterns of impunity under a different face.
For Maraga, unity is a means to an end, not the end itself. He has framed 2027 as a chance for opposition figures to come together around shared commitment to the rule of law, ending state capture, and permanently closing the door on any future leader weaponising public office for personal gain.
Talks toward a joint flagbearer remain ongoing, and the campaign continues to position itself as a convening voice among opposition leaders, moral authorities and civil society, rather than a lone contender chasing a crowded field.