Kalonzo’s hidden card in appointment of Njiru & Kamau to Wiper

By Newsflash Reporter

Wiper Patriotic Front (WPF) leader Kalonzo Musyoka appears to be quietly repositioning his party to strengthen its appeal in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.

The strategy became evident on Friday, August 7, when Musyoka announced a raft of changes to the party’s leadership, elevating outspoken lawyer Ndegwa Njiru to the newly created position of party spokesperson and former Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau to chairperson.

The appointments have placed two prominent Mt Kenya figures at the centre of Wiper’s national leadership structure, signalling Kalonzo’s growing interest in a region that is expected to play a decisive role in the 2027 elections.

Njiru gives Wiper a Mt Kenya face

Njiru, who hails from Kirinyaga County, is understood to be positioning himself to contest the Kirinyaga Senate seat on a Wiper ticket in 2027.

His appointment as the party’s spokesperson could therefore serve a dual purpose: strengthening Wiper’s communication machinery while giving the party a recognisable political face in Mt Kenya.

Sources within the party told Newsflash that Kalonzo intends to use Njiru’s growing profile to deepen Wiper’s presence in the region and present the party as a serious political vehicle ahead of the next General Election.

Musyoka said the spokesperson’s office had been created to strengthen the party’s communication strategy.

“Ndegwa Njiru becomes the party’s first spokesperson. A new office created for a new season of struggle. Njiru, even as we speak, is not here. He’s in court,” Musyoka said.

Njiru has been vocal on national political and legal issues, giving him visibility beyond his home county.

Kamau’s return to centre stage

The appointment of Kamau as party chairperson further reinforces the Mt Kenya strategy.

The former Kigumo MP and Cabinet Minister has previously contested the Murang’a gubernatorial seat in 2017 and 2022, although he was unsuccessful on both occasions.

His latest political move came on Tuesday, August 4, when he announced that he had withdrawn from the 2027 Murang’a gubernatorial race. In January, Kamau had announced his retirement from active politics.

His return to a senior national party position under Kalonzo could consequently signal a renewed role in shaping Wiper’s political fortunes in Central Kenya.

Political observers argue that bringing Kamau into the party’s top leadership could help Kalonzo tap into his networks and political influence across Murang’a and the wider Mt Kenya region.

Kalonzo’s wider 2027 calculation

The Wiper leader also appointed Nyali MP Mohammed Ali as Deputy Leader-designate, in what observers interpret as an attempt to expand the party’s appeal along the Coast.

Ali, a former journalist and two-term MP, is positioning himself for the Mombasa gubernatorial race. Musyoka praised him for his investigative journalism background and his role in exposing corruption and giving whistleblowers a voice before entering politics.

According to Nairobi-based political commentator Murache Wanjohi, the appointments of Njiru and Kamau are part of a deliberate strategy by Kalonzo to court Mt Kenya voters.

“By giving Wiper a Mt Kenya-ish look with the appointment of Njiru and Kamau, Kalonzo’s message is that he is really banking on Mt Kenya for his political support,” Wanjohi told Newsflash.

Observers say that the changes suggest that Kalonzo is seeking to broaden Wiper beyond its traditional Eastern Kenya base by building a coalition of influential figures from Mt Kenya and the Coast.