Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has extended an invitation to key opposition figures to attend the 2026 Michael Wamalwa Kijana memorial scheduled for August 23 in Kitale.
Wamalwa reflected on the historic political alliance formed in 2001, when his late brother, former Vice President Michael Wamalwa Kijana, joined forces with Mwai Kibaki and Charity Ngilu to establish the National Alliance of Kenya (NAK). This coalition laid the groundwork for the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which ended KANU’s four-decade dominance in 2002.
Reviving Opposition Unity
Drawing parallels to today’s political climate, Wamalwa noted that opposition leaders are forging a similar coalition. He recalled welcoming former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua into the opposition fold in January 2025, marking the start of the "WANTAM" movement, now comprising over ten parties including PLP, DCP, WPF, DAP-K, Jubilee, Democratic Party, MBAS, PDP, NARC, and KANU.
Wamalwa expressed optimism that the Linda Mwananchi faction of ODM will soon register as a political party and join this united opposition, much like Raila Odinga’s Liberal Democratic Party did in 2002.
Memorial and Political Tour
The annual memorial will also feature the launch of a book honoring the late Vice President Michael Wamalwa Kijana. Ahead of the event, the United Alternative Government team plans a two-day tour of Western Kenya counties—Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma—culminating in the memorial in Trans Nzoia.
Wamalwa’s invitation underscores a desire to replicate the historic political unity that transformed Kenya’s governance two decades ago.
