NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said opposition leaders are not in a hurry to settle on a joint presidential candidate for the 2027 General Election, dismissing claims that delays in naming a flag bearer signal divisions within their ranks.
Gachagua said he was prepared to make sacrifices and use his influence to unite opposition leaders behind one candidate, arguing that their priority should be securing political change rather than announcing a flag bearer prematurely.
Speaking in Massachusetts, United States, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader dismissed reports suggesting the opposition was struggling to agree on a common candidate and risked splitting as the election approaches.
“I’ll do whatever is within my power and ability; I’ll make whatever sacrifices necessary to make sure that we have one single presidential candidate, so that the liberation of our country can begin in earnest,” he said.
Gachagua was responding to reports that opposition leaders could turn against one another over competing presidential ambitions as they prepare to challenge President William Ruto.
He maintained that the absence of an early agreement should not be interpreted as evidence that efforts to build a common political front have failed.
Gachagua Accuses Government Allies Of Plotting To Divide Opposition
Gachagua also criticised remarks he attributed to a government-aligned Member of Parliament, whom he accused of suggesting that regional interests could be used to divide opposition leaders.
He said he had seen reports of the MP discussing what he described as a strategy to weaken the opposition by encouraging different regions to insist on their preferred presidential candidates.
“I saw some young fellow, an MP, he was talking, saying we are going to divide this opposition,” Gachagua said.
He claimed the purported strategy involved telling residents in Kisii that Jubilee Party Leader Fred Matiang’i must be on the ballot, residents in the Kamba region that Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka must run, and those in the Mount Kenya region that he should be a candidate.
Gachagua compared the alleged approach to political tactics used during the administration of former President Daniel arap Moi, arguing that those behind it underestimated the electorate.
“I want to tell that young man, the way he is talking is the way Moi and his people were talking. They don’t know the people of Kenya; they don’t know what decisions have been made by the people of Kenya,” he said.
Matiang’i, Sifuna And Kalonzo Among Opposition Figures In Focus
Gachagua’s remarks come amid discussions among opposition figures, including Matiang’i, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Kalonzo, over how to challenge Ruto in the next election.
The leaders face the challenge of balancing individual presidential ambitions, regional support bases and negotiations over a common political platform.
Gachagua said the process of building unity should be allowed to run its course rather than be judged by how quickly the opposition announces its candidate.
He did not give a timeline for selecting the flag bearer or outline the mechanism through which opposition leaders would settle on a single candidate.
Opposition Yet To Name Joint Presidential Candidate
With the 2027 General Election approaching, the question of who will represent the opposition against Ruto remains unresolved.
Gachagua’s position is that opposition unity should take precedence over an early announcement, even as political discussions continue among leaders with different support bases and ambitions.
