NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 7 — Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has overtaken Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna in the first round of the WANTAM online opposition flag bearer vote, opening a 5.6-point lead with just over three days remaining before voting closes and the top contenders face off in a televised debate.
The latest WANTAM Election Results Dashboard, updated Friday morning, shows Kalonzo leading the presidential race with 50.2 per cent against Sifuna’s 44.6 per cent.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i remains a distant third with 2.7 per cent, followed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on 0.9 per cent and Eugene Wamalwa on 0.5 per cent.
The results mark a reversal from earlier this week when Sifuna held a double-digit lead over Kalonzo in the digital ballot organised by the WANTAM movement to identify a consensus opposition presidential candidate for the 2027 General Election.
Sifuna outpaces Kalonzo in WANTAM online vote
The first round of voting is scheduled to conclude ahead of an August 23 debate that will bring together the top five presidential contenders before a subsequent phase determines the opposition’s preferred ticket.
The race for the running mate slot has remained comparatively stable, with Sifuna maintaining a commanding lead despite slipping to the presidential race’s second position.
Latest results place Sifuna first in the running mate category with 36.2 per cent, followed by Ndindi Nyoro on 20.4 per cent and Fred Matiang’i on 16.9 per cent. Kalonzo is fourth with 5.3 per cent (97 votes), while former Chief Justice David Maraga rounds out the top five on 3.2 per cent (58 votes).
Other candidates in the running mate contest include Okiya Omtatah (2.9 per cent), Boniface Mwangi (2.7 per cent), Rigathi Gachagua (2.4 per cent), Eugene Wamalwa (2.3 per cent) and Justin Muturi (2.0 per cent).
Based on the live tally, the platform currently projects a Kalonzo–Sifuna presidential ticket, with the dashboard displaying the pair as the leading presidential and deputy presidential candidates respectively.
The WANTAM movement launched the online exercise as part of an initiative to help the Uhuru Kenyatta-backed United Alternative Government opposition alliance identify a single candidate to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
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According to the Advisory Committee, the August 23 debate will give the leading contenders an opportunity to present their visions before the next phase of voting, with organisers saying the initiative is intended to allow Kenyans, rather than political elites alone, to shape the opposition’s preferred presidential ticket.
