United Opposition leaders after meeting in Nairobi to chart the way forward for opposition unity.
Tensions have risen within the United Opposition with controversial remarks by former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua stirring the outfit scheming to field a joint presidential candidate against President William Ruto in the next General Election.
The statement by Mr Gachagua, suggesting his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) has secured a deal to be the only opposition outfit to field candidates for elective seats in Nairobi in 2027, has sparked an uproar.
Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Wiper Patriotic Front's Kalonzo Musyoka has denied his party has agreed to such a deal with DCP, whose party leader Gachagua is now accused of making divisive remarks that are sowing seeds of discord within the opposition.
Coming on the back of his persistent attacks on Jubilee party that he has branded a “red wheelbarrow”- a loose association with the ruling party United Democratic Alliance (UDA), whose symbol is a yellow wheelbarrow; the latest statements are viewed as an attempt to cast DCP as the senior partner in the opposition.
Jubilee is led by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has backed his former minister Fred Matiang’i for the presidency, with Mr Gachagua now amused that the former ruling party is seeking to challenge DCP’s supremacy in Mt Kenya.
Mr Gachagua has dismissed all political parties operating in Mt Kenya as "President Ruto’s wheelbarrows out to divide area votes".
He has also dismissed Mr Kenyatta as "the past and retired when I am the present and the future". He has also branded some of his opposition colleagues as "social media campaigners with no ground to show".
He has further accused Mr Kenyatta's Jubilee Party of operating counter to the opposition ideals.
"Their leader Kenyatta has urged them to stop insulting me, which is good. But they stop attacking me, they start attacking another principal, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka...They go to Narok ward by-election and issue a certificate against United Opposition...then their candidate starts campaigning for the government's candidate," Mr Gachagua said.
Former President and Jubilee Party leader Uhuru Kenyatta (left) with former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i during Jubilee Party Special National Delegates Conference at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi on September 26, 2025.
Other opposition principals are People Liberation Party's Martha Karua, DAP-Kenya’s Eugene Wamalwa, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya (Mr Wamalwa's deputy in DAP Kenya) and Democratic Party’s Justin Muturi.
Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and Kajiado Senator Kenar Seki are also key players.
On Wednesday, Mr Gachagua insisted that he was not misquoted on the Nairobi zoning issue. "I insist that DCP will take over Nairobi. Those of contrary opinion only need to make their bid known and then we meet for a competition," he declared.
Mr Gachagua has also defended himself against accusations of championing tribal interests. "I'm only being real, I am selling my party, uniting and defending my community to keep it relevant for 2027 discourse. In any case, politics is not a wedding or a church service," he added.
Mr Gachagua’s November 30 declaration that he had struck an agreement with Mr Musyoka that DCP will field the opposition candidates to contest the Nairobi elective seats has drawn protests from even the most tolerant of opposition supporters.
The utterances rattled even Mr Musyoka, who on December 2 protested, saying: "We stand for competence and public endorsement where we will contest seats to achieve quality leadership".
Mr Dan Maanzo, who is Makueni Senator, also criticised Mr Gachagua’s statement, saying, "It is wrong to say that. The seats are competitive; they belong to the people.”
DCP deputy leader Mr Cleophas Malala, however, attempted to firefight for his boss, amending the Nairobi zoning utterances to mean "precursor to fielding candidates across the country and attempt to win them".
“Let us not look into this issue from a position of utopian state of affairs. This is competitive politics and all of us are in the market with goods to sell. We cannot sell other people's goods to sabotage ourselves,” Mr Malala argued.
He said that "those expecting us to carry others on our backs will be shocked.” “We have made a statement as DCP that we have the national appeal that if managed well will make us a 2027 force that no one can ignore".
He said "such a drive means we defend ourselves as an independent party, sell ourselves and strategise for competition".
"Watch your words"
“Our party leader must lead from the front, say those things that clearly distinguishes us as unique and proceed to make alliances that give us highest degree of promise,” Mr Malala said.
"Mr Gachagua should know that the mouth can lead the neck to the death gallows…A man who has no secrets is dangerous even to himself," said Kikuyu Council of Elders Chairman Mr Wachira Kiago.
Laikipia East MP Mr Mwangi Kiunjuri on Wednesday told Nation that "Mr Gachagua is the best government weapon in the United opposition".
“When the government is undergoing a crisis we only require Mr Gachagua to make a public address and all the attention shifts to himself. He is working very well against himself and his colleagues," said Mr Kiunjuri.
But Mr Natembeya, who is working to build his profile in western Kenya, insisted that the strategy Mr Gachagua is pursuing should not be mocked.
"You might want to make us look as if we are crude and a nuisance. But how did Donald Trump win America? Did he not unite the native Americans and promised to hand them their country back? What is wrong when we promise our regional people that we will unite them and give them their country back?" Mr Natembeya posed.
Mr Natembeya is himself locked in a power struggle with his party boss, Mr Wamalwa.
Mr Natembeya has since threatened to ditch DAP-K and found a new outfit if his boss, Mr Wamalwa, will not embrace structured reforms.
While Mr Wamalwa said "DAP-K is undergoing a democratic process that respects diversity of opinions and at the end of the day all of us will be winners," Mr Natembeya insisted time for change of strategy is now.
Mr Wamalwa said "the party, its members and officials will join the national platform of liberation carrying the best interests of all stakeholders".
Mr Natembeya acknowledged common differences between him and Mr Wamalwa "but not in a scale that warrants hostile engagements".
"If this party will not adopt rejuvenation and broadness of mindset, I will have no alternative but make a firm decision that includes bolting out and forming another one," Mr Natembeya said.
Another ultimatum from Mr Natembeya is that the decision on a flag bearer be subjected to public participation.
Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) deputy party leader Cleophas Malala (left) and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.
"It must not be about a group of four or five people sitting somewhere to decide. We do not want candidates being propelled by godfathers. We want organic candidates winning voters' trust. We want a candidate of all generations, not one relying on a segment of voters. We want a candidate endorsed by the dynamics of our voting population as a whole--a compromise candidate," he said.
But aside from Mr Gachagua, the United Opposition is also struggling with internal feuds.
When it is not a conflict of political parties, it is regional supremacy battles as well as planning of leadership coups in the fringe parties.
Ms Pauline Njoroge, who is a strategist at the Jubilee Party, railed at what she termed as "internal cannibalism where we as united opposition appear to be fighting each other instead of remaining focused on our target, who is President Ruto".
She said the message should go to internal bloggers who are the worst cannibals "not sanctioned by any of the principals".
Two months ago, Manyatta MP Mr Gitonga Mukunji said there is nothing called United opposition, stating that the only serious principals are Mr Gachagua and Mr Musyoka. "This thing should be disbanded".
This was after DCP had been prevailed upon to withdraw the candidacy of Mr Duncan Mbui for the Mbeere North by-election in favour of DP's Newton Karish.
After Mr Karish lost, DCP youth coordinator under the New Gema Isaac Mungai said: "We lost because some of those who follow Mr Gachagua around are government agents.”
Mr Linturi says that in times of founding a coalition, such frictions must occur as principals bond and search for a convergence point.
“But I can promise you, Wantam is real behind one presidential candidate to face Ruto," Mr Linturi said. "We know we are drawing a lot of interests from our competitors and collapsing the opposition is a fully fledged department in President Ruto politics."
Dr Matiang'i said: "No one should expect this consensus building to be easy, it's a continuing exercise. What is important is that we are keeping true to the demands of our followers who have demanded that we stick together and produce one candidate to face President Ruto in 2027."
According to political scientist, Mr John Okumu, the opposition appears to be putting up a public show of unity while the situation is different behind closed doors.
He argued that even Dr Mukhisa Kituyi hasn’t been felt despite his appointment as the opposition’s spokesman, as Mr Gachagua hogs all the limelight.
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