Gachagua explains why opposition will not rush to name presidential candidate
By Emmanuel Rono, July 4, 2026Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has revealed that the united opposition will not be rushed into naming its presidential candidate for the 2027 General Election.
Speaking at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County during a meeting with Githunguri constituency leaders on Saturday, July 4, 2026, Gachagua said the opposition remains committed to presenting a single presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto.
“We can name our candidate as late as the 15th of May. That is the deadline ya kupeana presidential candidate. Ata tukiwa named on 13th of May, iko makosa?” Gachagua posed.
Why we keep presidential flagbearer secret
He said the coalition would not allow its rivals to exploit an early announcement to sow divisions or target its preferred candidate.
“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,” he said.
Gachagua urged leaders within the opposition alliance to focus on consolidating support in their respective political strongholds instead of engaging in premature succession debates.
“Saa hii tumekubaliana wewe Riggy G kuenda mlimani, kuenda Nairobi, kuenda Maa unganisha watu yako. Wewe Kalonzo, enda Ukambani, enda Pwani unganisha watu yako. Wewe Matiang’i, enda Kisii, enda Kuria unganisha watu yako. Wewe Sifuna, na tembea Malala, Wamwalwa unganisha watu wenu,” he said.
Karua’s take on presidential candidate
People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has also stated that the United Opposition is not interested in naming its presidential candidate anytime soon.
Speaking during an interview on Herman Manyora’s podcast aired on Friday, July 3, 2026, the former justice minister vehemently dismissed calls for the coalition to unveil its flag bearer early, saying Kenyans will have to wait a little longer.
She stated that what the coalition intends to unveil in the coming days is the structure of the united alternative government and its strategy on how it plans to govern.
According to Karua, this should be done before August 2026, warning that if they fail to do so by then, it would be too late. She added that delaying until the end of the year would equally be a mistake.
“We can’t move to announce our candidate this early. Maybe the structure of the movement, that we can and we should do by August. Past that, it would be too late,” Karua stated.