Opposition principals face pressure to settle on Ruto challenger

Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and LMM Leader Edwin Sifuna join Rigathi Gachagua's family during the burial of his sister Eunice Nyangari Gachagua at Nyange, Kieni, Nyeri County. [Dennis Kavisu, Standard]

Opposition leaders have come under mounting pressure to settle on a single presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto in 2027, amid growing calls from Mt Kenya politicians for former Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua to fly the opposition flag.

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, Linda Mwananchi party leader Edwin Sifuna and DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa yesterday sought to  reassure supporters that negotiations were progressing and that the opposition would eventually present one candidate to face Ruto.

However, the push for unity was accompanied by competing endorsements. Some leaders from Mt Kenya openly backed Gachagua, while Wiper leaders maintained their support for Kalonzo as a potential opposition presidential candidate.

Kalonzo declared his readiness to support any opposition principal selected to challenge Ruto in 2027, offering to sign a political covenant committing contenders to back the eventual flagbearer.

Speaking during the burial of Eunice Nyangari Gachagua, the elder sister of the former DP, in Kieni, Nyeri County, Kalonzo dismissed claims that he would abandon the opposition if he failed to secure its presidential ticket. He said defeating Ruto was more important than individual ambitions.

“I have sacrificed before in the interest of opposition unity, including supporting the late Raila Odinga’s presidential bid for about 15 years, and I am ready to make that sacrifice again. Let nobody claim to speak on my behalf that I will join President William Ruto’s government if I am not selected as the opposition flag bearer. I will never join that government, whatever the outcome of the consultations. My commitment is to the opposition’s common agenda,” he said.

Kalonzo also defended Gachagua, saying Wiper had stood with him during his impeachment and that the former DP deserved recognition for helping Ruto secure victory in the 2022 elections.

“There is nothing more disappointing than helping someone win more than seven million votes only to be treated as an enemy afterwards. Gachagua helped Ruto defeat Azimio in the 2022 election, and we stood with him during his impeachment. That remains our position,” he said.

Citing his working relationship with the late former President Mwai Kibaki, whom he served as vice-president, Kalonzo said political differences should not prevent leaders from building trust and working together.

Sifuna, who is also Nairobi senator, said he was ready to work with Gachagua. He explained that his visit to Wamunyoro was part of efforts to bring opposition leaders together and strengthen their campaign to challenge Ruto in 2027.

Sifuna said Kenyans had placed high expectations on opposition principals to agree on one presidential candidate capable of defeating Ruto. He assured supporters that the leaders remained united and would settle on the most suitable candidate.

“I committed myself to doing whatever it takes to take Ruto home, and that is why I went to Wamunyoro to look for Rigathi. We must work together because Kenyans are looking up to us to provide one candidate who can bring the current administration to an end,” Sifuna said.

He dismissed claims that the opposition lacked an organised political alternative, saying Linda Mwananchi had established party structures, offices and an agenda for the country, contrary to Ruto’s criticism that the movement had no clear plans.

Sifuna challenged opposition leaders to scrutinise his political record and establish whether there was anything that could undermine their unity. He said he was ready to work with them and mobilise support across the country to defeat Ruto in the next election.

Gachagua, meanwhile, declared DCP the political vehicle through which Mt Kenya should organise itself ahead of the 2027 elections. He warned regional leaders against supporting Ruto at the expense of the community’s political interests.

He said the region’s failure to have its own political party in the 2022 elections was a major mistake that should not be repeated, and urged residents to rally behind DCP as preparations for the next elections gather pace.

“We made a big mistake in 2022 by not having our own political party. This time, the people of Mt Kenya know which political vehicle they will board, and that vehicle is DCP. Those who betray our community by supporting William Ruto will face the people in 2027,” he said.

The former DP also dismissed opinion polls suggesting he was dividing the opposition. He insisted that negotiations among the principals were progressing and that the delay in naming a presidential candidate should not cause anxiety among supporters.

The push for Gachagua’s candidacy was particularly pronounced among leaders from Mt Kenya. Nyeri gubernatorial aspirant Thuo Mathenge challenged opposition principals to consider the former DP as their presidential candidate.

Mathenge urged Kalonzo to support Gachagua, while telling Sifuna that he was still young and had time to pursue the country’s top seat in future elections.

However, the push for Gachagua was not unanimous. Mohammed Ali openly backed Kalonzo as his preferred candidate, warning that failure by opposition leaders to agree on one flagbearer could disappoint Kenyans hoping for political change.

“Kenyans have already decided that they want to send Ruto home, but their biggest fear is that the opposition will fail to produce one candidate. If you cannot agree on one candidate, then you have failed the people of Kenya,” Ali said.

Siaya Governor James Orengo also warned opposition leaders that they could not afford to squander the opportunity presented by the 2027 elections, saying failure to get their political strategy right would have far-reaching consequences for the country.

Orengo accused the Ruto administration of violating the Constitution and called for a united political front to challenge the government.

He said the political relationship between Mt Kenya and Luo Nyanza could be important in the coming election, arguing that both regions had a history of influencing national political outcomes.

“If we don’t get it right in 2027, we will never get it right,” he said.

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga said the opposition should draw on the experience of its senior leaders when making the decision, suggesting that political elders could also be consulted if the principals encountered difficulties.

Kahiga said the principals needed to demonstrate consistency in their negotiations rather than making agreements one day and contradicting themselves the next.

“Even as you seek to agree on one flag bearer, remember that you do not have to do it alone. You can constitute committees of elders and other respected leaders to offer guidance and help you navigate the selection process. If you reach a point where you face difficulties, invite us as governors to come and advise you. What is important is that you agree on one candidate and remain united behind that decision,” he said.

Kahiga also announced that he and other governors would soon join DCP.