Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna are preparing to take their new partnership from closed-door talks to the campaign trail, with their camps expected to hold a first joint rally in Nyahururu this weekend.

The Standard reported on Thursday that Gachagua's Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) and Sifuna's Linda Mwananchi movement will share a platform in the town, which straddles the Laikipia–Nyandarua border. According to the paper, details from Tuesday's meeting at Gachagua's Wamunyoro home in Nyeri show the two sides agreed to hold a series of joint meetings over the coming weeks, in what it framed as the start of a wider push against President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Neither camp had published a full itinerary by Thursday, and The Standard did not give an exact date or venue in the town.

From Wamunyoro to the rally ground

The planned rally follows the 20 October meeting at Wamunyoro, Gachagua's first major political engagement since he returned from the United States. Sifuna came with other Linda Mwananchi leaders, and Kenyans.co.ke reported that Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi were also there. No joint ticket or formal coalition was announced after the talks.

Joint rallies would be the clearest public sign yet that the two camps intend to campaign together. Gachagua draws his support mainly from Mt Kenya, while Sifuna has been building Linda Mwananchi in Nairobi and western Kenya and is now reaching out to the Coast.

The Standard also reported that the two leaders are courting former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka for a broader opposition arrangement. The details of those contacts have not been made public.

Why Nyahururu matters

The choice of venue carries some history. In July, a Linda Mwananchi rally in Nyahururu led by Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata and movement spokesperson Caroli Omondi was disrupted by violence. People Daily reported at the time that Kang'ata said his driver had been shot and that several vehicles were damaged, after which the movement suspended its activities in the area.

That event had been moved to Nyahururu after Gachagua objected to Linda Mwananchi campaigning in Ol Kalou during a by-election there. Mumias East MP Peter Salasya later described the decision to go ahead in Nyahururu as a political misstep, People Daily reported.

Returning to the same town with Gachagua on the same side would show how much relations between the two camps have changed in three months.

A busy calendar and open questions

Linda Mwananchi also has its own events lined up. Sifuna has said the movement's next rally will be held in Kwale County on Saturday, 31 October, The Star reported.

The partnership still faces obstacles. Sifuna's plan to rename The Equitable Party as the Linda Mwananchi Movement has drawn an objection from the Liberty National Democratic Alliance, which cites cases pending before the parties tribunal. Some of Sifuna's allies are also uneasy about the talks: The Standard reported that Sifuna has defended the Wamunyoro meeting even as Saboti MP Caleb Amisi warned against backing Gachagua for president.

The biggest question, who would carry the opposition's flag in 2027, has not been answered. Gachagua, Sifuna and Kalonzo have all been named as possible flagbearers, and Thursday's reports did not say whether the joint rallies will be used to settle the matter or simply to show strength in numbers.

For now, the weekend gathering will be watched closely as the first real test of whether the two camps can draw crowds together.

Photos: Linda Mwananchi via The Standard (Gachagua and Sifuna at Wamunyoro); The Star (Linda Mwananchi rally).