Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has differed with his Wiper Patriotic Front party counterpart Kalonzo Musyoka over the naming of the United Opposition candidate for March this year.
Mr Musyoka, last Sunday, framed the promised early declaration in March 2026 as a signal of readiness and unity against what he described as an oppressive and morally bankrupt regime.
“By the first quarter of 2026, the name of a presidential candidate will be made known to Kenyans. I think it is only fair that we work in that direction. And I want to say that I, personally, will do everything possible to hold our team together,” said Mr Musyoka.
But Mr Gachagua, leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), disagreed, saying revealing their candidate too early would expose them to harassment by the Kenya Kwanza government.
“We will have one candidate who will face Kasongo (Ruto), but let us not rush to reveal him. The election is still far. We are not stupid, relax,” said Mr Gachagua at the burial of the mother to Embakasi North MP James Gakuya in Murang’a on Saturday.
He suggested they emulate the opposition in 2002, who named their flag bearer, former President Mwai Kibaki, just two months before the general elections.
“Mwai Kibaki was announced as the sole presidential candidate on October 14, 2002, two months before the elections. If we make the announcement now, we risk exposing our candidate to harassment by the president,” said Mr Gachagua.
He noted that while he had received calls from concerned Kenyans warning that a delay in naming the flag bearer could cause rifts within the United Opposition, he insisted the public should be patient.
“The opposition is really you, the people. So we’re okay. We just have to give you a leader, and I ask that you be patient and wait,” said Mr Gachagua.
The former Deputy President also stated that they are awaiting a potential fallout in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), hoping to benefit from defectors.
He added that he is also waiting for some allies serving in President Ruto’s government to resign and bolster their team.
“We are waiting for many people, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who want to join us. There are also people from government, including CSs and PSs, calling me at night saying they are coming,” said the former Deputy President.
He indicated that this year, each presidential hopeful will focus on strengthening their individual parties and will name their torchbearer two months before the elections.
He, however, maintained that the opposition remains committed to unity and will back whichever candidate is agreed upon.
Mr Musyoka, Mr Gachagua, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i, Mr Eugene Wamalwa (Democratic Action Party of Kenya), Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, former Attorney General Justin Muturi, and a host of elected leaders are all eyeing the top position.
“If we agree that it will be me, then all the Mountain votes will go to him, same to Kalonzo Musyoka, our cousin, Matiang’i or Natembeya. I have also heard that Dr Oburu Oginga is interested. Sifuna should talk to him to join us. Should we agree it is him, we shall all back him,” said Mr Gachagua.
It is not the first time the debate around the opposition flag bearer has surfaced. In July this year, while in Kisumu, opposition leaders maintained that they were not under pressure to name their presidential candidate, saying whoever they settled on would be “first among equals.”
The leaders, christened ‘Team One-Term,’ said their current focus was unity among themselves, putting President Ruto’s government in check, and ensuring they form the next administration, regardless of who leads it.
However, Mr Musyoka’s stance recently shifted in an interview with journalists, where he urged his counterparts to agree on naming a candidate by March this year — a move likely to split opinions within the fragile opposition.
