Gachagua puts opposition presidential hopefuls on notice over lack of grassroots effort

Speaking while meeting a delegation from Nyeri at his Wamunyoro home on Tuesday, Gachagua admitted cracks in the opposition but dismissed them as inconsequential.

He intimated that the faction is handling wrangles over who to front as the presidential flagbearer, since some are not pulling their weight as expected.

"Hapo opposition tuko na disagreement kidogo kidogo. Lakini hio haiwezi badilisha our resolve," he said.

"Kuna mahali tunadiffer vile ya kutafuta uongozi. Kuna wale wako Kwa mahoteli. Wengine wako Kwa bini zao."

He however maintained that the opposition will not favor anyone based on prominence but on grit and hard-earned efforts to secure a substantial support base.

"Mimi nimewaambia ata ukuwe na na umaarufu kiasi Gani. Kura lazima utafute. Haiwezipangiwa Kwa mahoteli. Haiwezipangiwa Kwa ma TV," Gachagua said.

"It doesn't matter how beautiful you are. For you to win you must persuade the 50+1. There is no other way to be president."

According to the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader, prominence and being a political maven do not hold water in the race to identify a candidate if they lack supporters.

"Politics is a game of numbers. The science of politics is numbers. We are anticipating we're going to have 26 million voters. Lazima tutafute 23 million plus one. Na hizo numbers lazima utafute," he said.

"You must go out there and persuade the people of Kenya that you have what it takes. Hizo numbers ata ukiwa na bloggers kiasi Gani wanakuita the 6th. It cannot translate to numbers."

The former Deputy President maintained that the ticket has to be earned and their path to forming a new government if they clinch power in 2027 will be founded on merit and not popularity.

He noted that those who will form that administration should be like-minded and share similar ideologies.

A bunch of prominent leaders within the faction have declared interest in the presidency among them Jubilee's Fred Matiang'i, Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka, Edwin Sifuna (Linda Mwananchi), Martha Karua (PLP) and others.