Former UN trade chief Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi has been unveiled as the new spokesperson and Head of Secretariat for the United Opposition, a coalition of parties seeking to build a formidable challenge against President William Ruto in 2027.
The announcement came on Wednesday evening through former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who confirmed the appointment after a strategy meeting with other leaders.
“The United Opposition has appointed Hon. Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi as their spokesperson and the Head of the Opposition Secretariat,” he wrote on X.
Dr. Kituyi is best known for steering the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for eight years, from 2013 to 2021. Before his international posting, he held senior roles at home, including Minister for Trade and Industry in President Mwai Kibaki’s administration, and earlier, Member of Parliament for Kimilili for 15 years.
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During his long political career, Kituyi emerged as a strong debater and negotiator. He once served as Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament and chaired the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee. On the regional front, he was at the centre of major trade negotiations, chairing councils of African and COMESA trade ministers and leading talks at the World Trade Organization during the Doha Round.
The coalition that has brought him on board is still a loose arrangement, but it groups together six parties: Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party, Kalonzo’s Wiper, Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party, Eugene Wamalwa’s Democratic Action Party–Kenya, Justin Muturi’s Democratic Party, and Jubilee, represented by chairman Torome Saitoti and backed by former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i.
Although the alliance has yet to formalise its structure, its leaders — among them Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Karua, Wamalwa, Matiang’i, Muturi, Kituyi and former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi — have been meeting frequently to tighten their ranks and project unity.
Wednesday’s gathering was as much about consolidating the group as it was about public messaging. Attendees sought to quell speculation of internal rifts by presenting Kituyi as the coalition’s face, while also planning upcoming joint activities, including a rally in Kisii next week.
Insiders said the meeting also gave leaders a chance to take stock after Gachagua’s recent declaration of interest in the presidency. Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, who attended, said the talks were meant to “iron out issues of coordination” and to show the public that “the opposition remains united.”
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For the coalition, bringing in Dr. Kituyi signals a move to elevate its image beyond local politics by drawing on his global experience in governance and trade diplomacy. His appointment is expected to provide both credibility and strategic direction as the opposition seeks to craft a common ticket for 2027.
