The party’s National Governing Council (NGC), which met on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, adopted six key resolutions that effectively set out its political roadmap for the 2027 elections.
Among the most significant decisions was the party’s declaration that it will support Ruto for president while fielding its own candidates for MCA, MP, Woman Representative, Senator and Governor positions.
The party also replaced its long-standing “Inawezekana” slogan with a new political rallying cry: “Mbele Iko Sawa.” The resolutions were published by Mutua following the NGC meeting and have also been reported by Kenyan media.
Alfred Mutua draws a new 2027 political line
Maendeleo Chap Chap’s latest resolutions make clear that the party does not intend to disappear ahead of the 2027 elections.
Instead, Mutua’s party plans to maintain its own identity, contest multiple elective positions and work with Ruto at the presidential level.
“The Party will field candidates for all elective positions including MCA, MP, Woman Representative, Senator and Governor while leaving the Presidency to its support for President William Ruto,” the party said.
It further declared:
“The Party will wholeheartedly support and campaign for President William Ruto in the 2027 Presidential Election.”
The strategy gives Maendeleo Chap Chap room to build its own electoral base while remaining aligned with Ruto’s presidential campaign.
The Star reported that the party will field candidates for various elective positions while supporting Ruto for president, alongside plans for Mutua to lead a nationwide mobilisation tour.
Why Mutua’s move matters to Kalonzo Musyoka
The announcement comes as competition for political influence in Ukambani intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka remains one of the region’s most influential political figures, but recent political developments have pointed to growing competition for his traditional support base.
The Star reported in March that Kalonzo was facing increasing pressure in Ukambani as political figures and grassroots leaders shifted their loyalties. Citizen Digital similarly described the region’s political supremacy contest as intensifying ahead of 2027.
Against that backdrop, Maendeleo Chap Chap’s decision to rebuild its grassroots structures and field candidates could become an important part of the political contest.
The latest move does not amount to a direct response from Kalonzo to Mutua’s NGC resolutions. Rather, it places the two political figures within increasingly contrasting political strategies as the 2027 election approaches.
Mutua is aligning his party with Ruto at the presidential level.
Kalonzo, meanwhile, remains a major figure in the opposition and in the wider debate over who could mount a serious challenge to Ruto in 2027.
That contrast could make Ukambani one of the regions to watch closely as political parties begin translating national alliances into grassroots campaigns.
Mutua takes Maendeleo Chap Chap back to the grassroots
One of the party’s most significant resolutions is the immediate launch of a nationwide membership recruitment exercise.
Maendeleo Chap Chap said the campaign will focus on expanding its membership and strengthening its structures across the country.
“The Party will immediately commence a nationwide membership and grassroots recruitment drive aimed at expanding its membership and strengthening Party structures across the country,” the NGC said.
The decision comes at a crucial stage in the party’s preparations.
Fielding candidates in multiple constituencies and counties requires more than national visibility. It requires ward-level organisers, constituency structures, local candidates and an active membership base.
Mutua’s strategy therefore appears aimed at rebuilding the machinery needed to turn the party’s political resolutions into electoral strength.
Alfred Mutua to lead nationwide 2027 tour
Mutua will personally spearhead the party’s nationwide mobilisation campaign.
According to the NGC resolutions, the Maendeleo Chap Chap founder will travel across the country to engage members, strengthen party structures and mobilise Kenyans ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Hon. Alfred Mutua will embark on a nationwide tour to engage members, strengthen Party structures and mobilise Kenyans ahead of the 2027 General Election,” the party said.
The tour could become Mutua’s biggest opportunity to test the party’s support beyond its traditional political base and identify potential candidates ahead of the elections.
The Star reported that the nationwide tour is expected to focus on grassroots mobilisation and strengthening the party’s political structures.
Former Maendeleo Chap Chap members given September 15 deadline
In another major decision, the party invited former members who had left for other political formations to return.
The NGC said their return would help in rebuilding and strengthening the party.
“Former members who left the Party to join other political formations are invited to return and play their part in rebuilding and strengthening Maendeleo Chap Chap,” the party said.
However, the invitation comes with a deadline.
Former members have until September 15, 2026, to return to the party.
The deadline gives Mutua’s political team a clear starting point as it seeks to consolidate its structures before the 2027 campaign enters a more intense phase. TUKO also reported the September 15 deadline as part of the party’s latest resolutions.
‘Inawezekana’ replaced with ‘Mbele Iko Sawa’
The most visible change announced by Maendeleo Chap Chap is the party’s new slogan.
After years of using “Inawezekana,” the party has now adopted:
“MBELE IKO SAWA.”
The slogan is expected to feature prominently in the party’s upcoming mobilisation and grassroots activities.
“Maendeleo Chap Chap is ready for the next chapter stronger, broader and focused on the future,” the party said.
The party concluded its announcement with the phrase:
“MBELE IKO SAWA.”
The new slogan was also highlighted in contemporary coverage of the NGC resolutions.
Mutua and Kalonzo: A rivalry that could return to the spotlight
The latest development is particularly interesting because Mutua and Kalonzo have a long political history in Ukambani.
Mutua’s political career in Machakos and his leadership of Maendeleo Chap Chap have previously placed him in direct competition with forces associated with Kalonzo.
The rivalry has at times extended beyond individual seats into a broader contest over political influence in the region.
In 2025, Mutua publicly criticised Kalonzo’s political strategy in Ukambani, accusing the Wiper leader of keeping the region underdeveloped for political gain.
The current Maendeleo Chap Chap strategy, however, is less about personal attacks and more about organisation.
By recruiting members, inviting former officials back, fielding candidates and embarking on a national tour, Mutua is attempting to strengthen the structures through which political influence is built.
A different political strategy from Kalonzo
Mutua’s approach also differs sharply from the strategy being pursued by leaders positioning themselves against Ruto.
Maendeleo Chap Chap has chosen to back Ruto’s presidential bid while maintaining its own candidates for other elective positions.
That creates a hybrid political model: support the President at the top while competing independently at the grassroots.
For Mutua, the arrangement could allow Maendeleo Chap Chap to preserve its political identity while benefiting from its alignment with the President.
For Ruto, the party’s mobilisation could add another political vehicle to his broader support network, particularly in regions where his administration is seeking to expand its influence.
For Kalonzo, the strengthening of political competitors in Ukambani could make the road to 2027 more demanding.
Six resolutions that define Maendeleo Chap Chap’s 2027 plan
The NGC resolutions can be summarised into six major decisions:
1. Nationwide membership recruitment: The party will immediately begin expanding its grassroots membership.
2. Fielding candidates: Maendeleo Chap Chap will field candidates for MCA, MP, Woman Representative, Senator and Governor positions.
3. Support for Ruto: The party will campaign for President William Ruto in the 2027 presidential election.
4. Nationwide tour: Mutua will lead a countrywide tour focused on mobilisation and strengthening party structures.
5. Return of former members: Former members have been invited back, with September 15, 2026, set as the deadline.
6. New political slogan: The party has replaced “Inawezekana” with “Mbele Iko Sawa.”
What Mutua’s move means for the 2027 election
The latest Maendeleo Chap Chap announcement highlights an increasingly important feature of Kenya’s 2027 political contest: the battle will not only be fought over presidential alliances.
It will also be fought over grassroots structures, candidates, party membership and local political influence.
Mutua’s nationwide recruitment drive will test whether Maendeleo Chap Chap can expand its influence beyond its traditional strongholds.
His planned nationwide tour will provide another test.
The bigger question will be whether the party can translate its new slogan and political resolutions into actual candidates, functioning grassroots networks and votes.
That will be particularly important in Ukambani, where Kalonzo remains a major political force and where recent developments have shown that political loyalties are increasingly being contested.
For Ruto, Maendeleo Chap Chap’s decision provides another political partner ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
For Mutua, it represents an attempt to rebuild and strengthen his political vehicle.
For Kalonzo, it is another reminder that the contest for influence in Ukambani will be fiercely fought.
The 2027 political chessboard is therefore taking shape well before the campaigns officially begin.
And as Mutua prepares to take his party across the country, the new message from Maendeleo Chap Chap is unmistakable:
“MBELE IKO SAWA.”
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