Gachagua: Opposition to pick single presidential candidate by April 2027

Speaking to the press on Wednesday night at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before departing for a trip to the United States, where he is expected to engage Kenyans living in the diaspora, Gachagua expressed confidence that choosing a flag bearer will be the easiest part of the coalition's preparations for the 2027 General Election.

"Choosing a single presidential candidate is the easiest of all the challenges that we have ahead of us. We can meet one day for lunch and before dinner we have a candidate," Gachagua stated.

"The real job, and that's what I expect of my colleagues in the United Opposition to do, is political mobilisation against Ruto, it's to persuade Kenyans to register as voters, come out and vote him out and vote in a responsible government."

The former Deputy President urged Kenyans to remain patient, drawing parallels with the 2002 election, when the opposition settled on Mwai Kibaki as its presidential candidate barely two months before the polls.

He noted that the process to pick the most suitable candidate could be concluded around March or April next year.

"I want to ask Kenyans to be patient. Mwai Kibaki was chosen as the single presidential candidate for the opposition on October 14, 2002, when elections were to be held on December 27 the same year. We have a whole year, what is the hurry?" Gachagua posed.

"In my view, hii ni maneno ya March, April huko. I am very happy with what is happening in Western Kenya. Wamalwa, Sifuna, Malala, they are doing a good job. After Christmas, we should be able to agree and come up with a single presidential candidate."

The DCP leader maintained that while he believes he is the most suitable candidate for the presidency, he would support whichever candidate the opposition selects.

"I have said I am the most suitable, but in case my colleagues see otherwise, whoever is agreed on has my support," he stated.

Gachagua's remarks come amid growing debate over whether the opposition can maintain a united front ahead of the 2027 General Election, with critics arguing that unity is the only key to unseat President William Ruto.

Several leaders within the opposition have either declared or expressed interest in the presidency, including Gachagua, Jubilee deputy party leader Fred Matiang'i, Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka, People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua and former Chief Justice David Maraga.

However, Gachagua's own presidential ambitions could also be affected by the ongoing legal battle as he recently appealed a High Court decision that upheld his impeachment, with the outcome of the case potentially playing a role in determining whether he will be eligible to contest the presidency.

On the other hand, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has also emerged as another figure attracting attention within opposition politics through the Linda Mwananchi Movement. 

Members of his faction have increasingly fronted him as a potential candidate capable of challenging President Ruto, adding another dimension to the contest for the opposition's eventual flag bearer.

All eyes now turn to how the United Opposition plans to organise itself, manage competing ambitions and eventually settle on a single candidate to face President Ruto in the 2027 presidential election.