Nyandarua Senator John Methu has declared that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua must contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election, insisting he remains the opposition’s strongest weapon against President William Ruto despite his impeachment troubles.
Speaking during Gachagua’s political tour of the United Kingdom, Methu described the former deputy president as the “engine” of the opposition movement and urged Kenyans in the diaspora not to keep him abroad for too long.
“I support all the opposition candidates. If Gachagua is with you in the UK, things will be very quiet; that is why we have to release him in at least one week,” Methu told supporters during the tour.
“The rest of us will be waiting for Gachagua in Nairobi to come help the opposition pressure the government. Do not let the engine of opposition stay in the UK for long,” he added.
The senator further argued that Gachagua commands a significantly larger support base than many opposition figures and should therefore be fronted as the coalition’s presidential flagbearer ahead of the high-stakes 2027 contest.
“A person who has five million votes cannot deputise someone with three million votes,” Methu said.
“If the engine that can drive the opposition is the same engine that will drive the government, then that person should be fronted and eventually become president.”
Methu also dismissed suggestions that Gachagua’s impeachment automatically bars him from seeking the presidency, maintaining that the former deputy president still has constitutional avenues available to challenge the decision in court.
“Gachagua, impeached or not, our law allows him to run as long as he has not exhausted all remedies available in law to overturn his unlawful impeachment,” the senator stated.
“You all know that he was impeached unfairly and that the case is bound to fail even in the court of public opinion. Anybody trying to tell us that Gachagua will not be on the ballot only wants to discourage his supporters because they know he is a formidable candidate.”
Gachagua is currently in London as part of a renewed campaign targeting the Kenyan diaspora, amid growing political realignments ahead of the next election cycle.
The UK visit includes cultural engagements featuring Kenyan entertainers as well as meetings aimed at consolidating support among Kenyans living abroad.
The former deputy president’s international outreach mirrors a broader trend among opposition leaders seeking to tap into the diaspora’s financial influence and political mobilisation power despite the relatively small number of registered overseas voters.
Gachagua previously undertook a six-week political tour of the United States, which ended in August 2025, where he aggressively campaigned against President Ruto’s administration while laying the groundwork for a potential 2027 presidential bid.
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