NAIROBI, Kenya- Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged opposition leaders to set aside competing ambitions and build a united front ahead of the 2027 General Election, drawing a public loyalty pledge from DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua after their bitter 2022 political split.
Speaking during the requiem Mass for his cousin, Beatrice Wambui Muturi, at PCEA Nairobi West Church on Wednesday, Uhuru said ordinary Kenyans were increasingly concerned about one issue: whether opposition leaders can unite behind a common political cause.
“A presidential seat can only be sat by one person at a time,” Uhuru said, urging leaders to plan themselves well and honour the public’s desire for unity.
The retired President said he had listened to Kenyans during his engagements across the country and believed many had made up their minds about the country’s future. Their main concern, he said, was the unity of opposition leaders.
His remarks were directed at a gathering that included DCP Leader Gachagua, Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Democratic Action Party-Kenya Leader Eugene Wamalwa and other political figures.
Uhuru’s one-seat message
Uhuru’s intervention was a direct appeal for opposition leaders to recognise that only one person can ultimately carry the presidential ticket in 2027.
Without naming a preferred candidate, he urged leaders to subordinate individual interests to a broader political objective, saying Kenyans wanted to see them “holding hands” and working together.
The retired President has maintained a relatively low public profile since leaving office in 2022, making his public call for opposition unity significant as political leaders begin positioning themselves for the next election.
His message comes as several opposition figures seek influence in a crowded political field, with questions still lingering over who could emerge as the coalition’s presidential candidate against President William Ruto.
Uhuru has previously urged leaders to listen to the public and avoid allowing personal ambitions to weaken efforts to build a credible alternative government.
Gachagua vows to protect renewed bond
Gachagua used the same gathering to publicly reaffirm his relationship with Uhuru, declaring that no one would again be allowed to drive a wedge between them.
“For avoidance of doubt, never again will [we] allow anyone to come between me and my brother Uhuru Kenyatta,” Gachagua said.
The DCP leader said the two had reunited as family and called for their relationship to remain intact, signalling that their political differences of 2022 were now behind them.
The statement marked one of Gachagua’s clearest public acknowledgements of a changed relationship with the retired President.
In the 2022 election, Uhuru backed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga under the Azimio la Umoja coalition, while Gachagua served as President Ruto’s running mate in the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Ruto and Gachagua won the election, deepening the political divide between Uhuru and leaders who had backed the then Deputy President.
Gachagua has since fallen out with President Ruto and was impeached as Deputy President in October 2024, setting the stage for his realignment with leaders who had opposed Kenya Kwanza in 2022.
A new signal for opposition politics
The public exchange between Uhuru and Gachagua does not amount to a formal political pact or an endorsement of any presidential candidate.
However, it sends a pointed message to opposition leaders that internal disputes, particularly those involving the Mount Kenya region, could become a major obstacle to building a united front in 2027.
Their renewed public warmth also carries weight in a region where Uhuru remains an influential elder statesman and Gachagua has positioned himself as a key opposition voice.
