Why Sonko’s NEDP is giving Wiper sleepless nights

By Newsflash Writer

The launch of former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko’s National Economic Development Party (NEDP) has triggered political ripples across Ukambani, unsettling the Wiper Patriotic Front (WPF), the region’s dominant outfit.

Within Wiper circles, there is quiet concern that Sonko’s re-entry into active politics could complicate Kalonzo Musyoka’s calculations ahead of the 2027 polls. The emergence of NEDP has disrupted the Lower Eastern political terrain, forcing Mr Musyoka’s party onto the defensive as some allies openly question the timing, motive and possible fallout of Sonko’s comeback.

Beneath the public bravado lies a deeper unease. Despite his court battles and past political blows, Sonko still commands a rough-edged populist appeal capable of unsettling even entrenched political formations. That reality explains why, even as Wiper leaders play down the threat, anxiety simmers just below the surface.

“This Sonko party, which almost copies Wiper’s sky-blue colours, is the single biggest danger to Wiper, especially in Ukambani and Nairobi,” warns Fred Musau, a Wiper member who contested an East African Legislative Assembly seat in 2022. “The top leadership must be very strategic. Either we confront this party head-on or sit down with Sonko. If Wiper is to remain dominant in its stronghold, we must plan carefully.”

Sonko defends move

Mr Sonko, however, insists his decision is purely constitutional. He says forming a party is neither rebellion nor sabotage, but simply the next chapter in his political journey. “It is my democratic right to establish and run a party,” he says. “I respect Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and this has nothing to do with him or his influence. He even called to congratulate me.”

He argues that Kenyan politics has always accommodated multiple parties within the same region, noting that Ukambani itself has previously hosted several outfits without weakening Wiper’s grip. “Everyone starts somewhere. Even Kalonzo began somewhere and built his following,” Sonko says.

He questions why his move has attracted criticism while similar efforts by other leaders passed without alarm. “Harun Mwau has a party, Kalembe Ndile had Tip Tip, Kivutha Kibwana had his own, and Alfred Mutua runs Maendeleo Chap Chap. Why am I the problem?” he asks, dismissing claims that any new party in Ukambani must automatically be targeting Mr Musyoka.

Sonko also rejects allegations—largely from within Wiper—that NEDP is a State-backed scheme engineered by President William Ruto to destabilise the Rigathi Gachagua–Kalonzo-led opposition. “I am not part of the United Opposition, and I am not Ruto’s project,” he says. “If I were, why would the State freeze my accounts and deny me access to my own money? I am my own man. My ambition is to be president one day.”

Yet beneath his defiance is lingering resentment over what he describes as politically motivated prosecutions. “The law has been selectively applied against me. Courts have been used to dim my political future,” he says. “We will fight until justice is done. Do not write my political obituary yet.”

Wiper’s guarded response

For decades, Wiper has been synonymous with Lower Eastern politics, surviving defections, rival formations and repeated incursions by national parties. But Sonko represents a different challenge. He is no conventional regional politician. His appeal is urban, youthful, national and emotional. He speaks to Nairobi’s hustlers and Eastlands residents, and his brand cuts across counties and ethnic lines.

Although Wiper leaders publicly dismiss fears, their language betrays caution. Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, a close ally of Mr Musyoka, acknowledges Sonko’s right to form a party but slips in a warning. “Sonko is my friend and a leader I respect,” he says. “He has exercised his right, but I do not see how he can allow himself to be used by the Ruto administration to undermine the opposition.”

Still, Mr Wambua insists NEDP poses no real danger. “My brother Sonko has simply exercised his right and should be given space to nurture his party,” he says.