Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed claims suggesting he will not vie for the presidency in 2027.
Speaking on Wednesday, November 5, he termed the reports baseless, maintaining that he remains firmly in the race and confident of his chances.
"We shall have one single presidential candidate. I have seen William Ruto being sponsoring headlines that I will give up and let others run so that I can be given 'shares' in government. Who is telling you that? I'm a frontrunner in this race," he said.
Gachagua noted that his focus remains on building a strong case to convince his allies of his ability to lead and secure the presidency.
"What I need to do is to persuade my colleagues that I have the numbers, I have the mobilization capacity, that I can marshal enough resources and that I have enough messaging capacity to defeat William Ruto," he added.
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Gachagua, however, noted that while he is confident in his leadership abilities, he remains open to dialogue to determine the best candidate for the coalition when the time comes.
"In case I don't persuade them and they persuade me that another Kenyan can do it, I'll sacrifice. We haven’t sat down to agree on who it will be, and we’re in no hurry. We’ll meet after Christmas, 2026," he further said.
This comes a day after former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i reaffirmed his commitment to fostering unity within the opposition.
In a statement on Tuesday, November 4, Matiang'i noted that coalition-building and consensus will be central to their strategy ahead of the 2027 General Election.
"I have always been firmly focused and committed to the democratic process of searching for a single United Opposition candidate for the Presidency in 2027.
"The endorsement by the Jubilee Party NEC as the presidential nominee aligns with this vision and philosophy of consensus and coalition building," he said.
Matiang’i expressed confidence that the opposition will rally behind a single presidential candidate, saying this unity is the only viable path toward mounting a credible challenge to the ruling administration.
"I assure Kenyans that the United Opposition leaders will stick together and deliver one candidate. I have my eye on the Presidency, a fete that I’ll only achieve through the route of the United Opposition. We will remain united," he added.
Meanwhile, Gachagua recently hit out at Ruto following his recent remarks that with the departure of Raila Odinga from active politics, he has no remaining political challenger.
Speaking on Monday, November 3, Gachagua dismissed Ruto’s claims, warning that the president’s real challenge comes not from politicians but from the citizens dissatisfied with his leadership.
"I have heard William Ruto bragging that with the demise of Raila Odinga, he has no opponent. I would like to inform him that we are not his opponents; his opponents are the people of Kenya," he said.
Speaking in Malava on Thursday, October 30, Ruto dismissed the current opposition as lacking a credible agenda, declaring that his only worthy competitor was Raila.
He took a swipe at opposition leaders, claiming they have no vision for the country and are instead focusing on divisive politics.
"Let me ask you, Malava people, when you look at me like this, are those people the only ones I'm competing with? My only worthy competitor was Raila Odinga. I will finish these ones in the morning," he said.
