By Professor Peter Ndiang’ui, Fort Myers, Florida

Dear Rigathi Gachagua, Fred Matiang’i, Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, and All Other Leaders in the Opposition Coalition,

I write to you on behalf of a sizeable and increasingly anxious segment of the Kenyan population. I have chosen—deliberately—to give voice to their concerns. We reach out to you today with urgency, respect, and firm resolve. We have observed you closely—not as detractors, but as citizens who still believe in your collective potential to steer our country away from a deepening national crisis.

We have listened to your speeches, monitored your statements, scrutinized your actions, and evaluated your engagements. While there have been moments of promise, there have also been deeply troubling signals that cannot be ignored.

We have heard discussions about how elective positions might be apportioned along party or ethnic lines. We have heard some of you publicly dismiss fellow opposition leaders as “unacceptable” or “unworkable.” We would like to believe—given today’s digital vulnerabilities—that some of these utterances are either distorted or unintended. For now, we extend the benefit of doubt. We remain convinced that there is time to forge a disciplined and credible winning formation. We trust that you see this window as clearly as we do.

But unity cannot rest on optimism alone. It must be demonstrated unmistakably through conduct—your conduct. The moment for equivocation is over. It is time for each of you to embody the unity that millions of Kenyans desperately seek.

Some of the statements attributed to you have genuinely alarmed the public. Yet we remain hopeful that they do not represent your true convictions. We urge you to recognize, unequivocally, that the opposition’s only effective arsenal against the current regime—its creeping authoritarianism, deteriorating economy, rampant corruption, and chronic misgovernance—is your collective strength. Should you forfeit that strength, the nation will pay a devastating price. The suffering already suffocating Kenyan households will intensify and multiply.

This letter does not presume to instruct you. It simply reiterates what you already know—and what your supporters remind you every day: The 2027 elections must not revolve around any individual, any party, or any ethnic constituency. They must be about salvaging a nation in distress. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Millions of Kenyans have entrusted their final hopes to you—not because you are flawless or always aligned, but because you currently stand as the last viable barrier between national collapse and national renewal. You frequently assert that you “listen to the people.” We are those people. Speaking is one thing; acting in accordance with those words is another.

Reflect deeply on the painful lessons of the recent by-elections. You may take pride in the MCA victories, but let us be candid: the overall performance fell far below the expectations of the Kenyan public. The loss of the parliamentary seats in Mbeere North and Malava was a harsh and sobering blow. While rigging undoubtedly played a part, internal divisions played an even greater one.

The absence of transparent and credible candidate selection processes cost the coalition dearly. Personal ambitions, party-centric calculations, and factional maneuvering cost the country dearly. Kenya cannot afford a repeat of such disarray in 2027. That would be fatal to the nation.

Let this be said with absolute clarity: The decision on who becomes the opposition flagbearer cannot be reserved for a few leaders at the top. The mandate belongs exclusively to the Kenyan people. The selection mechanism must be democratic, transparent, credible, and participatory—seen by the nation to be fair, principled, and merit-based. It must reject tribal arithmetic, gender tokenism, age favoritism, religious bias, backroom deals, and entitlement politics. The coalition must settle on the candidate most capable of delivering victory—for the people, with the people, and because of the people.

If the process is hijacked by ethnic interests, personal egos, or narrow political calculations, then we are once again doomed. History will judge each of you harshly. If any leader’s personal pride stands in the way of a legitimate and inclusive process, it would be honorable for such an individual to step aside and allow disciplined leadership to prevail.

Kenya is bleeding. Families are crumbling under impossible economic strain. Youth are in despair, scrambling for even the smallest opportunity. Businesses are collapsing. Basic necessities sit far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. This is not the moment for petty rivalries, coded hostilities, or silent internecine warfare. This is the moment for courage, sobriety, and unified purpose.

Therefore, we appeal to you—firmly, seriously, and respectfully: Please keep the main thing the main thing.

The main thing is not positions.
The main thing is not personalities.
The main thing is not ethnic bargaining.
The main thing is not historic grudges.
The main thing is not internal supremacy contests.

The main thing is Kenya.
The main thing is her people.
The main thing is rescuing a nation on the brink.
The main thing is restoring hope where almost none remains.

We are watching. We are listening. We are waiting.
And we believe you can rise to meet this moment—if you choose unity over division, purpose over ego, and country over self.

Do not fail the people. Kenya’s future rests on the choices you make in the coming months. Show us even the faintest glimmer of the unity you so often promise. The people of Kenya not only demand it—they deserve it.

With hope,
The People You Claim to Listen To.

Disclaimer: The perspectives and conclusions presented in this article are the author’s independent and personal opinions. They are not intended to represent or speak on behalf of any political party, public office, professional institution, or media outlet.