Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has thrown his weight behind a possible Edwin Sifuna-Kalonzo Musyoka presidential ticket for the 2027 General Election, claiming an alleged study by Chinese researchers gives the opposition pair 68 per cent of the vote against President William Ruto’s 29 per cent.
Khalwale made the proposal on Friday, August 21, 2026, during the burial of his late wife, Gloria Sekeiyan Khalwale, at Malinya Sports Grounds in Kakamega County, where Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was among those in attendance.
Using the occasion to make a public case for the two leaders to work together, Khalwale directly appealed to Sifuna to consider running for president with Kalonzo as his deputy.
“My brother Sifuna, you have a big challenge. Nimesoma utafiti jana usiku yenye imefanywa na Wachina. Imesema yakwamba sisi tulioko kwenye mrengo wa upinzani tukikufanya wewe candidate, alafu mfuasi wako awe Kalonzo Musyoka, utafiti unasema kwamba wewe na Kalonzo, akiwa deputy wako, mtapata 68 percent of the votes, and William Ruto ataenda Sugoi na 29 percent,” Khalwale said.
Khalwale said the figures were not based on his own assessment, insisting they came from researchers in China.
“That is not me; hao ni wasomi kutoka China. Edwin, be strong; you are with me. The moment I have said like this, Luhyas have heard,” he added.
He did not, however, identify the researchers, the institution that conducted the study or explain how the alleged figures were arrived at. The 68 per cent projection could therefore not be independently verified.
Khalwale’s comments come as opposition leaders continue to weigh possible combinations ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Sifuna and Kalonzo among the names featuring in discussions on how the opposition could settle on a joint ticket.
A TIFA Research survey released in May showed that a Kalonzo-Sifuna combination had considerable support among respondents who backed opposition candidates. The pairing attracted 28 per cent, placing it second behind a Kalonzo-Fred Matiang’i combination, which recorded 31 per cent.
A Rigathi Gachagua-Kalonzo pairing received 25 per cent in the same survey.
The TIFA survey, however, tested the political combinations without stating which person would be the presidential candidate and who would serve as deputy. Its findings therefore did not specifically show that respondents preferred Sifuna as president with Kalonzo as his running mate, as Khalwale suggested.
The results nevertheless pointed to interest in a possible Sifuna-Kalonzo alliance as opposition parties continue searching for a combination that could unite their supporters before the 2027 election.
Sifuna has also recorded a sharp rise in individual support in recent polling.
A TIFA survey conducted in June and released in July placed President Ruto at 24 per cent, followed by Sifuna at 15 per cent, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i at 14 per cent and Kalonzo at 13 per cent. Gachagua recorded seven per cent.
According to TIFA, Sifuna’s support had grown from almost zero in November 2025 to 15 per cent in June 2026, making him the fastest-rising opposition figure in the survey.
Kalonzo, who has made several attempts at the presidency and remains a major figure in opposition politics, recorded 25 per cent support at his peak in November 2025 before dropping to 13 per cent in June 2026.
The changing figures have added to the debate within opposition circles over who should lead a united challenge against Ruto.
Kalonzo has remained part of several possible alliances, including the proposed pairing with Matiang’i, while Sifuna has gained a wider political profile through the Linda Mwananchi movement and his continued criticism of the Ruto administration.
Other combinations involving Gachagua, Kalonzo and Matiang’i have also been discussed, showing that the opposition has yet to settle on a single presidential ticket.
The May TIFA survey showed how closely contested the possible alliances were, with the Kalonzo-Matiang’i combination leading the Sifuna-Kalonzo pairing by only three percentage points.
Sifuna’s growing political activity has since added another dimension to the discussions. His Linda Mwananchi campaign has taken him to different parts of the country as opposition leaders continue consultations over the possible formation of a joint team for the 2027 contest.
Khalwale’s endorsement now adds a prominent Western Kenya voice to the Sifuna-Kalonzo debate.
His remarks at the burial have also brought the question of the opposition ticket into sharper focus, with the Kakamega senator openly suggesting that Sifuna could take the presidential position while Kalonzo serves as his deputy.
The proposal comes at a time when opposition leaders are under growing pressure to find a formula that can bring together their different political bases and give them a strong challenger to Ruto in 2027.