People’s Renaissance Movement party leader Caleb Amisi has challenged the United Opposition to hold a popular vote to select its presidential flagbearer for the 2027 General Election, warning against imposing a candidate through a boardroom deal.
Amisi who is the Saboti MP said presidential aspirants seeking to challenge President William Ruto should allow their popularity to determine who leads the opposition into the 2027 presidential race.
“If you select a flagbearer through the boardroom, you will experience voter apathy since supporters of candidates left out will doubt the process,” he said.
Speaking during the issuance of bursary cheques at St Michael’s Top Station School, Amisi proposed a selection model similar to the one used by the Pentagon opposition alliance in 2007, which saw Raila Odinga emerge as its presidential flagbearer.
Amisi said all opposition presidential aspirants should be given an opportunity to test their popularity before the coalition settles on a single candidate to challenge Ruto.
“Allowing supporters to determine the opposition flagbearer would give the eventual candidate greater legitimacy and increase the chances of uniting supporters of rival aspirants behind one candidate,” he argued.
Amisi also rallied opposition leaders from the region who have left their former political parties to join his People’s Renaissance Movement, saying parties would remain important in negotiations ahead of the 2027 election.
The Saboti MP said opposition leaders cannot effectively negotiate political alliances without organised political parties.
“You can’t go to the negotiation table without a party. I am a student of Raila Odinga, hence I was able to form a party unlike them,” Amisi said.
His remarks come as opposition leaders seek to consolidate their political bases and negotiate a possible united front against President William Ruto.
Amisi also directed his criticism at President Ruto, urging him to engage the youth and address their grievances instead of allowing confrontations between protesters and security agencies.
The MP said the deaths of the youth during street protests are unnecessary and described the government’s handling of the situation as a major mistake.
“The biggest mistake made by President Ruto’s regime is not corruption but the use of force against the youth who eventually died in the streets,” Amisi said.
Amisi argued that protecting citizens’ lives is central to the legitimacy of any presidency.
“As a president, the legitimacy of any presidency is conditional on protecting the lives of citizens. The moment you don’t protect the lives of your citizens, you stop becoming a president,” he said.
He also accused Ruto’s allies of displaying arrogance towards citizens and criticised the alleged use of force against protesters seeking to air their grievances.
