Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, who is also one of the principals of the United Opposition, has said he will support Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka for the coalition's presidential ticket if he is not chosen as its flagbearer.
Speaking on Sunday at a church service in Kamulu, Muturi said every principal in the United Opposition has a right to express their opinion and urged them to speak their minds freely as the coalition works towards settling on a single presidential candidate.
"If I am not chosen as the United Opposition's presidential candidate, I will support my brother, Kalonzo Musyoka," Muturi said.
Muturi said he can only defer to Kalonzo because he is his senior in politics, noting that the Wiper leader first contested in 1983 before winning in 1985, when he was serving as a magistrate in Bungoma.
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He also urged the United Opposition to settle on its presidential candidate as soon as possible, citing the 2002 General Election, where he argued that KANU's Uhuru Kenyatta lost after former President Daniel Moi delayed naming him as the party's presidential candidate.
The Democratic Party leader said the coalition has repeatedly promised Kenyans it would front a single presidential candidate, warning that its leaders would struggle to revisit regions where they had made that commitment if they were still unable to name a flagbearer.
The United Opposition is currently working on a formula for identifying a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 General Election, amid reports that some coalition principals have already backed their preferred candidate.
United Opposition leaders at a past meeting.
Recently, reports emerged that Kalonzo had been selected the United Opposition's presidential candidate for 2027. However, speaking from his Wamunyoro home Saturday, July 4, the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua denied there being such an arrangement.
Whilst he continues his partnership with Kalonzo, Gachagua said no such decision has been made yet.
"We are yet to decide on who will replace William Ruto. But the decision that he will be replaced is made. As to who will do, that has yet to happen. The newspaper should not waste its space trying to confuse anybody. We are too intelligent. We know whom we are dealing with and we are very careful," he said.
Gachagua said the candidate who'll fly the opposition's flag will remain a top secret until the right time to unveil comes.
"We can name our candidate as late as May 15. That is the deadline for submitting a presidential candidate. Even if we name our candidate on May 13, what's wrong with that?
"We will not give you the advantage of dividing us. We will not give you the opportunity to intimidate our flag bearer. We will not give you the opportunity to persecute our flag bearer. The single presidential candidate remains our secret weapon until the last minute," Gachagua opined.
