This is the fourth time since February last year that I am sticking my neck out for former Vice-President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka as the most suitable person for the Opposition to present as a presidential candidate against incumbent William Ruto.

When I last pronounced myself on the subject, I asked Kalonzo to pull up his socks as he still had a lot of ground to cover, in spite of occupying a front-runner’s saddle.

I am not sure if Kalonzo has indeed pulled up his socks. I have not noticed that. But I have noticed two important developments lately.

First, proposed presidential candidate Fred Okengo Matiang’i returned to the country three weeks ago from his seclusion abroad where he has been since leaving Government after the 2022 General-Election.

Matiang’i arrived in the country to glowing media headlines as well as befitting welcome from his Omugusii community through pomp and dance.

The former ultra-powerful Interior Cabinet Secretary has since declared his interest to run for the Predidency. That is a very positive development. Though one wishes that Matiang’i had returned to the country before the Gen-Z uprising of June last year, or still he had not left the country in the first place.

The other important development was the launch on Thursday by immediate former Deputy President Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua of his new political party, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP). Like Matiang’i before him, Gachagua announced his quest to unseat Ruto in 2027.

Both Matiang’i and Gachagua are public figures with significant influence who can be elected as Kenya’s next Head of State if given a nod to contest by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). I wish them well.

The duo join the growing list of presidential aspirants drawn from the Opposition ranks. They include Kalonzo of the Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM), Martha Karua of the National Liberation Party (NLP), Jimi Wanjigi of Safina Party, Okiya Omtatah of National Restoration Alliance and young Morara Kebaso of Inject party. Indications are that the number will keep on ballooning.

Matiang’i has been floated by the Jubilee Party as its choice of presidential candidate. Jubilee Party is headed by immediate former President Uhuru Kenyatta. It is therefore safe to assume that Matiang’i is Uhuru’s preferred candidate.

Having served the country for two terms as President of the Republic, Uhuru certainly has a bird’s eye view of every corner of Kenya and the numerous challenges that the citizenry is confronted with on a daily basis.

Tribalism and the politics of exclusion that come with it are an obvious challenge. I want to guess that is part of the reason Uhuru and his party settled on Matiang’i as the presidential contender. Matiang’i comes the middle level Gusii community whose population comes seventh in Kenya after the Kikuyu, Luhyia, Kalenjib, Luo, Kamba and Meru.

Thus, if people were to vote by ethnic considerations, Matiang’i or any member of his community would never be considered for the position of President.

That is why the move by Uhuru – who is from the most populous Kikuyu ethnic group – makes a lot of sense.

Yet that is not the first time Uhuru is doing so. During the 2022:elections, as outgoing President Uhuru threw his weight behind the Azimio La Umoja coalition presidential candidate Raila Amolo Odinga who is not from his community.

Though Raila, a Luo, did not win, Uhuru made his pont: That it is possible for one to support a presidential candidate outside their own community. Just as is the case with Matiang’i today.

Like Uhuru, I too think Kenya can get a leader outside the so-called Big Four tribes, even though only two of the quartet – Kikuyu and Kalenjin – have produced presidents since independence.

My choice remains Kalonzo Musyoka. In my last comments on Kalonzo, I asked the former Mwingi North MP to firmly stamp his presence on the Kenyan political landscape

The 2027 General-Election should be the moment fot Kalonzo to ascend to the Presidency. It will not be easy though. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication, strategy, tolerance, consultations, tolerance, mobilisation and communication.

Not forgetting nationalism, inclusiveness and open-mindedness I repeat that Kalonzo must step up to the plate and stage the right challenge.

It is no secret that Kalonzo leads the least polarising and the most disciplined, most loyal, most united and most focussed political party in Kenya today.

Kalonzo stands out as one of the few public figures whose integrity has not been consumed by the vagaries of cortuption, immorality and bigotry.

He is a well-measured character who has demonstrated humility, respect for others and decorum to a noticeable level of appreciation.

His humbleness and experience a side, Kalonzo has a calming predictable temperament. That is a vital quality that Kenya required now more than ever before in our history.

Kenya requires a leadership that listens and unifies the citizenry. Kenya requires a leadership that accommodates the youths and gives a chance to them to freely thrive in society. Kenya requires a leadership that upholds human rights and the rule of law and respects human life. I find Kalonzo towering above his Opposition colleagues and therefore more suitable for this challenge than the rest.

But I am not dismissing anyone. After all, all dreams are valid.

The Opposition must put its house in order right now and devise ways of attracting the Gen-Zs into its fold.

Chest-thumping around negotiating tables on the basis of war chests and tribal numbers could lead to a very open chance evaporating in a whisker Lest you forget.

The last thing the dithering Opposition can afford between now and 2027 is a public fallout. If not handled carefully, that fallout could come soon rather than later.

Old hands in the game like Kalonzo and and veterans in the trencjes will certainly be demanding respect and space. That is where the crevices for a fallout could start emerging.

The Opposition in Kenya has treaded on this path before. Care and caution are of great necessity at the moment.

The writer is a Revise Editor with People Daily;