Gachagua: 2027 election will be won when we name our candidate

Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has expressed confidence that Kenyans will embrace the presidential candidate selected by the Opposition to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 general election.

Gachagua said opposition leaders would agree on a single candidate and insisted that the announcement of their flagbearer would mark a decisive moment in the race for State House.

Addressing Kenyans during a church service in Boston, Massachusetts, the former Deputy President pledged to make personal sacrifices to ensure the Opposition presents a united front against Ruto.

“I want to assure you that we shall give you a single Opposition presidential candidate. Me, I will do whatever is within my power and ability, make whatever sacrifices to make sure that we have one single candidate so that the liberation of our country can begin in earnest,” he said.

Gachagua expressed confidence that the eventual candidate would enjoy widespread support from Kenyans, dismissing concerns that disagreements among opposition leaders could undermine their chances in the next election.

“And I want to assure the people that the candidate we shall pick, you people will be happy. The day we announce that candidate, it is the day the 2027 election will be won,” he said.

His remarks come amid growing debate over who among the opposition leaders should carry the coalition's presidential ticket, with several political figures positioning themselves for the contest.

Gachagua acknowledged that critics had predicted the opposition would fail to agree on a single candidate, potentially giving Ruto an advantage in his bid for a second term.

He cited an MP who had reportedly suggested that the Opposition could be divided by encouraging supporters of individual leaders to insist that their preferred candidate be picked.

The DCP leader dismissed the strategy, drawing parallels with the political developments that preceded the 2002 General Election, when opposition parties rallied behind Mwai Kibaki to challenge the ruling KANU party.

Gachagua recalled that Kibaki was selected as the joint opposition presidential candidate on October 14, 2002, approximately 73 days before the election, before going on to defeat Uhuru Kenyatta.

“I want to tell that MP, the way he is talking is the same way people were talking in 2002,” Gachagua said.

Kibaki won the December 2002 presidential election with about 62 per cent of the vote, ending KANU's nearly four-decade hold on power.

Gachagua's appeal for unity comes as opposition leaders, including himself, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Jubilee's Fred Matiang'i, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua and other political figures, navigate discussions on how to settle on a common presidential candidate.

While the leaders have expressed support for a joint candidature, the question of who will step aside for the eventual flagbearer remains a central challenge in efforts to build a united opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.