Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has warned opposition leaders against rushing to name their joint presidential candidate, arguing that an early decision could give the government time to infiltrate and divide the coalition before the 2027 General Election.
Speaking to Kenyans in Oregon, United States, Gachagua said he had advised Embakasi East MP Babu Owino against pushing for an immediate decision on who should lead the opposition into the election.
“I told Babu Owino, I have been around for long and I know how to do these things,” Gachagua said, according to Citizen Digital.
He said the opposition should first consolidate its support, strengthen its political machinery and mobilise voters before settling on a presidential flagbearer.
Gachagua argued that announcing the candidate more than a year before the election would leave the opposition vulnerable to what he described as “infiltration and division” by the government.
“The time is not right to settle on the opposition presidential candidate,” he said, warning that an early announcement would give President William Ruto room to interfere with and weaken the opposition.
His remarks add a new dimension to the increasingly public contest over who should lead the anti-Ruto alliance, with several opposition politicians already positioning themselves for the presidency.
Gachagua has previously presented himself as a leading contender but has also said the opposition should ultimately rally behind whoever can assemble the strongest coalition.
In August, he said the opposition should settle on a single candidate early next year, while prioritising political mobilisation and voter registration in the meantime. (The Standard)
More recently, he has signalled flexibility over the eventual ticket, saying he would be willing to deputise Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna if the political arithmetic showed that Sifuna was the stronger presidential candidate.
“There is no problem even if Riggy G can deputise Sifuna, what is wrong with that?” Gachagua said in Spokane, Washington.
The former Deputy President has also backed the principle of a single opposition candidate, saying competing candidates would split the vote.
But his latest remarks suggest that the opposition's immediate priority should be building the coalition rather than deciding who will occupy the top seat.
Gachagua cited the 2002 General Election as an example, noting that Mwai Kibaki was selected as the opposition's presidential candidate about two months before the election.
He argued that there was therefore little reason for the opposition to announce its candidate more than a year before the 2027 poll.
The position comes as opposition parties intensify negotiations over a possible united front against Ruto. Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa, Edwin Sifuna and other opposition figures have all been involved in discussions on how to consolidate the anti-government vote.
