United Opposition faces tough call on picking candidate to challenge Ruto

Former Deputy President and DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua, during an exclusive interview with KTN at his Karen Residence on October 5, 2025. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Opposition parties face a litmus test in their quest to remain cohesive and send President William Ruto home during the 2027 General Election, with the most daunting task being to agree on a single presidential candidate.

The parties include Wiper Patriotic Front led by Kalonzo Musyoka, Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) headed by Rigathi Gachagua, Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party (PLP), Democratic Party led by Justin Muturi, Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party, Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) headed by Eugene Wamalwa and Party of National Unity led by Peter Munya.

Kalonzo’s supporters and those of Jubilee Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i are spoiling for a fight as they all seek to position their candidate as the best bet to defeat Ruto, with Gachagua coming out as a strong supporter of Kalonzo, who he says has got the necessary political experience that will be required to ensure that Ruto only serves for one term as President. 

Political journey

“I have watched Kalonzo Musyoka’s political journey for the last 15 years and he has come out as a consistent and reliable politician who is capable of leading this country if supported since he has got the necessary experience required to send William Ruto home in 2027 that is why I consider him to be the first among equals in the United Opposition,” said Gachagua.

The DCP leader said that the Opposition will field a single presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election, stating that Ruto has been doing everything possible to woo Kalonzo to his side since he knows he is the only threat to his re-election, which is not going to work since they have resolved to send him home by uniting.

Cracks in the Opposition were witnessed after parallel meetings were held among key leaders last month in which Wamalwa hosted Kalonzo, Gachagua and Muturi at his party headquarters while Matiang’i, Karua and Munya were conspicuously absent only for it to emerge that they were holed up elsewhere for a separate meeting. Wamalwa, who read a joint statement by the Opposition leaders, downplayed the absence of Matiang’i, Karua and Munya when asked by journalists, only stating that the Opposition was united and that Matiang’i was being represented in the meeting by former Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba and had previously been represented by Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka.

“I would like the media to treat claims that the Opposition is not united as mere rumours since some of the principals who are not here today have been represented, similarly not all our principals have been in all our meeting due to one reason or the other, our conviction to send Ruto home in 2027 is still very strong,” said Wamalwa.

State violence 

A few hours later, after the press briefing in which they poked holes in Ruto’s administration, photos emerged of Matiang’i, Karua, Munya and Opposition spokesperson Mukhisa Kituyi holding a separate meeting, which raised questions as to whether the two wings were working for their common good or at cross purposes.

Matiang’i, late last year, hosted delegations at his Simbauti farm home in Nyamira County, with members of the Maasai and Kuria communities being among those who have visited him in his quest to galvanise his support base in readiness to take on Ruto.

During the meeting with the Maasai delegation, Matiangi pledged to fully implement free education programmes and reinstate the Linda Mama health programme to ensure mothers and women receive quality healthcare if he is elected as President in 2027, even as he pledged to fight corruption.

“The growing culture of grabbing public institutions and facilities, including land and parastatals should be stopped, I am committed to fixing the nation by decisively ending corruption and land grabbing if I am elected as President in 2027, that is why I am requesting for the support of all citizens,” said Matiangi. 

Karua, in a recent interview, said that she was not aware of any agreement reached that Kalonzo should be the Opposition presidential candidate making it clear that there was nothing wrong for members of the United Opposition having their preferred candidates, terming the competition as good before they reach a consensus.

The PLP leader said the United Opposition is likely to come up with a decision on who their preferred presidential candidate will be a few months before the 2027 General Election, stating that at the moment they are each building their parties to boost their bargaining power.

“At the moment each party in the United Opposition is working towards building up structures and setting up base in preparation for the next elections, 

‘‘It is too early to say who is going to be our presidential candidate; that decision will be made at the right time,” said Karua.

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, who is a close Kalonzo ally, said they are aware there will be several attempts to divide the Opposition so that the chances of sending Ruto home are diminished and that they are all aware of the machinations that are being put in place and that they are going to ensure their rivals do not succeed. 

Wambua assured Kenyans that the Opposition will have one presidential candidate to take on Ruto that will be agreed upon by all parties and that if that candidate is Kalonzo, it would be good for the country, but at the moment, each party leader is free to go out and seek support.

He said that just like during the 2002 General Election, the Opposition leaders will be called upon to make sacrifices in order to send the Kenya Kwanza regime home and that they have all learnt from experience that unity is strength while divisions will only work for the good of their detractors.

“The United Opposition has learnt some valuable lessons from the past elections, that is why this time round we are going to unite and rally behind one strong candidate in order to ensure that we send the Kenya Kwanza regime home since it has failed Kenyans,” said Wambua.

Too early

Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi, who is an associate of Matiang’i, accused Gachagua of causing the discomfort being witnessed in the Opposition by declaring a candidate too early, saying that he has shown he is not a good team player.

Kibagendi said that Gachagua has proved that he does not have political emotional intelligence and easily lays all his cards on the table too early before the real negotiations starts and that having been in the political arena for some time, he should know how best to handle delicate matters and not in the manner he has been doing.

“Gachagua needs to change how he communicates failure to which he is likely to cause divisions in the Opposition, all the Opposition parties are supposed to have their political bases intact before coming to the negotiating table failure to which we will be playing to Ruto’s political trap,” said Kibagendi.

Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Jeremiah Kioni said the decision on who will be the United Opposition presidential candidate will be made by their supporters and not by a few individuals and that it is too early to make such a crucial decision, which is best made a few months before the General Election. 

General Election

Kioni gave the example of the late President Mwai Kibaki, who was named the presidential candidate of the Opposition three months before the 2022 General Election and managed to emerge triumphant and that at the moment they should be working towards gaining the support of Kenyans.

“Honestly it is too early to decide on who will be the United Opposition presidential candidate, that is a decision that is best made a few months to the general election which is more than 20 months away, what we should be doing is preparing ourselves for the gruelling exercise ahead,” said Kioni.

Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo, who is a close ally of Kalonzo, said that the problem with Jubilee is that it was not clear whether it was in government or the Opposition and that it was crucial for its leadership to engage with their colleagues within the United Opposition to come up with the best way forward. 

Maanzo said the question at hand is what each partner is coming with to the table and that no final decision has been made on the presidential candidate and that it was high time Jubilee negotiated with the other parties honestly, failure to which it may be considered a State project.

DAP-K is also facing internal wrangles pitting Wamalwa against Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who is seeking to be the Western Kenya kingpin so as to be able to sit on the negotiating table with other opposition leaders, where Wamalwa already has a stake.

Wamalwa has been moving around the country with other opposition principals, while Natembeya has been seeking to consolidate his position as he aims to stake a claim on the high table and it will be interesting to see who will emerge victorious among them.

Political Risk Analyst Dismus Mokua said the probability of the United opposition having one presidential candidate has been compromised by Gachagua’s brand of toxic politics, arguing that he is the biggest threat to opposition unity and one united opposition presidential candidate.

“Kalonzo Musyoka, JB Muturi and Fred Matiangi have embraced all-inclusive national politics, while Rigathi Gachagua is still practicing and preaching ethnic politics much to the chagrin of Kenyans interested in policy-based politics,” said Mokua.

The Political Risk Analyst said that Gachagua is exposing Kalonzo, Muturi and Matiangi to reputational liabilities and brand dilution and that if they may find it prudent to isolate Gachagua and hit the ground running, the better it will be for them. 

Mokua said that Gachagua is keen to have a United opposition presidential candidate and leadership that he can manipulate with his dictatorial tendencies likely to makes his peers and 2027 candidates nervous and uncomfortable, which may work against the entire team.

“There is likelihood that Jubilee and DP will gain currency in Mount Kenya region in 2027 as various candidates abandon DCP associated with Gachagua who has made 2027 candidates develop a phobia since they are not assured of getting tickets,” said Mokua.