Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech has claimed that Wiper Patriotic Front Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka reached out to President William Ruto after the 2022 General Election to seek the Senate Speaker position.
Koech made the claim during a televised political discussion on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, prompting a strong denial from Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, who dismissed the allegation as a “big lie”.
According to Koech, Kalonzo approached Ruto shortly after the 2022 election and expressed interest in taking over the Senate Speaker position.
“Kalonzo once reached out to the President and he said his position that he had requested was to be the Speaker of the Senate,” Koech claimed.
The presenter further asked whether Kalonzo had specifically wanted to become Senate Speaker, to which Koech responded: “He wanted to be the Speaker of the Senate.”
Maanzo, however, immediately rejected the claim, demanding evidence of the alleged approach.
“That is a big lie. Where is the record? Never ever,” Maanzo said.
Koech further claimed that Ruto rejected the alleged request, saying the President questioned why he would give Kalonzo the position.
The exchange became heated as Maanzo continued challenging Koech over the allegation, with the latter insisting that he was revealing information about the political manoeuvres surrounding the 2022 election and subsequent realignment of leaders.
Koech weighs in on Gachagua strategy
Koech also turned his attention to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, arguing that the former DP was taking a different approach ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He claimed Gachagua was primarily focused on consolidating the Mount Kenya region rather than seeking the presidency immediately.
According to Koech, Gachagua’s strategy was to mobilise a significant number of MPs from the region and use their numbers to negotiate for political power.
“Rigathi Gachagua is consolidating his Mount Kenya base. He wants to deliver as many Members of Parliament as possible,” Koech said.
Koech argued that if Gachagua secured more than 20 MPs, he would have a stronger bargaining position in negotiations with other political formations.
“If he gets more than 20 Members of Parliament, he’ll come to the table and say, ‘Listen, I’ve brought 20 Members of Parliament, what do I get from this government?’” he said.
He also claimed that the emerging Linda Mwananchi political movement was preparing for the 2027 election, while suggesting that some of the current political formations were already positioning themselves with an eye on the 2032 election.
