Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has ruled that the Wiper Patriotic Front Party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, will not consider walking out of the United Opposition based on the massive backing the group is getting from the Mt Kenya region heading into the 2027 general election.

Having declared his presidency in the forthcoming general polls in December 2025, Kalonzo Musyoka is thought of considering other avenues as the United Opposition dilly-dallies on fronting a presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto at the ballot.

Speaking on K24 TV on Monday, January 12, 2026, Gachagua also said the Wiper leader is not that daft to walk away from the vote-rich Mt Kenya region to go and gamble for numbers elsewhere. Gachagua further added that Kalonzo is smart enough not to do the same thing as Ruto.

Not that daft!

”I don’t think Kalonzo will be foolish to leave because of a million votes. He will be like Ruto. He left the mountain and went to Luo-Nyanza. He left 5 million votes in search of 1.5 million votes. I don’t think Kalonzo is that daft!” Gachagua said.

Rigathi Gachagua’s remarks come shortly after Kalonzo Musyoka formally declared his bid for the presidency, unveiling a sweeping reform agenda that he says will rescue Kenya from economic hardship, corruption, and democratic backsliding.

In his end-of-year message to the nation on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Kalonzo positioned the United Opposition as a “Government-in-Waiting” and confirmed that he will be on the ballot in the 2027 General Election, pledging integrity-driven leadership anchored on constitutionalism, economic justice, and the protection of fundamental rights.

Government-in-waiting

“My fellow Kenyans, I want to be very clear this afternoon. The United Opposition is not just a coalition. It is your Government-in-Waiting. We are united not by personal ambition, but by shared values: respect for the Constitution, economic justice, integrity in public office, and the protection of fundamental rights,” Kalonzo stated.

During the address, Kalonzo also revealed that the United Opposition coalition will announce its presidential candidate by the first quarter of 2026, signalling early preparations to challenge President William Ruto’s administration.

The group comprises different political party leaders and former influential cabinet secretaries, such as Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i, who has also set his sights on the 2027 presidency.