Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has announced that he will spend the next 45 days at his Wamunyoro residence conducting intensive consultations aimed at helping the opposition settle on a single presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Monday, June 9, shortly after the High Court delivered a major ruling concerning his impeachment case, Gachagua said his immediate political focus would shift from public rallies and mobilisation campaigns to behind-the-scenes negotiations designed to strengthen opposition unity ahead of the next election.
The former Deputy President revealed that after a scheduled visit to Western Kenya over the weekend, he would retreat to his home village in Nyeri County for what he described as exhaustive consultations with supporters, opinion leaders, elders, professionals, youth representatives and other stakeholders.
“My supporters have now instructed me urgently to embark on the implementation of our joint strategic stance from the Wamunyoro residence for a period of 45 days,” Gachagua said.
“After a tour of Western Kenya, where I want to go and support my deputy party leader Cleophas Malala and Eugene Wamalwa over the weekend, from Monday I will be in Wamunyoro Village for 45 days to start exhaustive and extensive consultations with my supporters, opinion leaders and stakeholders on the formula of identifying a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto.”
The announcement marks what appears to be a significant shift in strategy for the former Deputy President, who has in recent months emerged as one of the most vocal critics of President Ruto’s administration following his impeachment from office.
According to Gachagua, the opposition’s greatest challenge is no longer convincing Kenyans to support political change but rather agreeing on one candidate capable of uniting the various opposition formations ahead of the August 2027 presidential election.
He disclosed that a 60-member caucus comprising elders, youth leaders, professionals and members of the clergy had advised him to prioritise unity talks instead of continuing with political campaigns across the country.
Gachagua argued that efforts to mobilise public support against the Kenya Kwanza administration had largely been achieved and that the next phase should focus on identifying the strongest possible challenger to President Ruto.
“The issue now is not mobilisation. The issue now is how to identify one candidate who can carry the aspirations of all those who seek change in Kenya,” he said.
The former Deputy President also maintained that he remains eligible to contest for the country’s top seat despite the legal challenges arising from his impeachment, insisting that the judicial process is not yet complete because appellate avenues remain open.
However, he emphasised that his personal ambitions would not override the broader objective of opposition unity.
Gachagua revealed that the 45-day consultation exercise would help him obtain a clear mandate from his supporters before engaging fellow opposition principals in negotiations on the final formula for selecting a flagbearer.
He outlined two possible scenarios emerging from the talks.
Under the first scenario, Gachagua would seek to build nationwide support if consultations and coalition discussions ultimately identify him as the most suitable presidential candidate.
The second scenario would involve him throwing his weight behind another opposition leader should coalition partners agree on a different candidate.
While expressing confidence in his own political standing, Gachagua insisted that he would respect any consensus reached by opposition leaders and supporters.
“I want to literally and firmly state to the people of Kenya that I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the United Alternative Government towards the cause of a single presidential flag bearer,” he said.
He further pledged that he and his supporters would rally behind the eventual choice, regardless of who emerges as the opposition’s candidate, describing unity as a non-negotiable factor in the quest to unseat President Ruto.
In one of his strongest declarations yet, Gachagua said that if he is not selected as the coalition’s candidate, he would personally lead mobilisation efforts across the country and help deliver what he claimed could be nearly 10 million supporters to the agreed opposition flagbearer.
The announcement is expected to intensify political discussions within opposition circles as leaders seek to avoid the divisions that have historically weakened opposition campaigns in previous presidential elections.
With just over a year before official campaigns begin in earnest, Gachagua’s 45-day retreat could prove pivotal in shaping the opposition’s strategy and determining whether rival political factions can unite behind a single challenger for the 2027 contest.
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