Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has again insisted that the united opposition will present a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto in the August 10, 2027 General Election, dismissing claims that the coalition is too divided to agree.

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader made the remarks on Sunday, October 11, while addressing Kenyans living in the United States during a service at St Stephen's ACK Church in Dracut, Massachusetts.

Ready to step aside

Gachagua told the congregation that he was prepared to drop his own ambitions if that was what it took to seal a deal among opposition principals. "If it is not agreed that it is me, I will support the one who will be chosen over me," he said, according to Kahawatungu.

He assured the diaspora that the eventual flagbearer would be acceptable to them, and argued that the opposition's fortunes would be sealed on the day the candidate is unveiled. "The day we announce that candidate, the elections will be won that day," he was quoted as saying.

TV47 reported that Gachagua also said the opposition was working to win the presidency in the first round, and warned that Kenyans would punish its leaders if personal interests got in the way of unity.

Other issues raised

Away from coalition politics, the former Deputy President used the platform to criticise the government on several fronts. According to TV47, he:

  • threatened to mobilise residents of Turkana to stop oil drilling until locals benefit from the resource;
  • condemned the killing of more than 700 cows in Samburu and demanded that the government compensate the owners; and
  • told diaspora Kenyans that an opposition government would tackle corruption to encourage them to invest at home.

A shifting timeline

Gachagua has repeatedly promised a single opposition ticket, but the date for naming the candidate has moved. In February, he suggested the choice could be made around March or April 2027. In June, after a High Court ruling on his impeachment case, he announced a retreat at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri to consult on a consensus candidate. More recently, The Standard reported him saying the flagbearer would be named after Christmas.

Several opposition figures have presidential ambitions of their own, among them Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Jubilee's Fred Matiang'i and People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua. The coalition has yet to publish the formula it will use to settle on one name.

Ruto's response

President Ruto, currently on a development tour of the North Rift, has dismissed the opposition as offering only slogans and said he is ready to be judged on his record at the ballot.

Photo: Nicolas Landemard / European Union, 2023 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0