Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has ruled out party zoning within the United Opposition, saying each party should be allowed to field candidates anywhere.

Speaking during an interview with K24 TV and other radio stations allied to Media Max, the outspoken United Opposition bigwig stated that in preparation for 2027, no party within their formation should be barred from fielding candidates in certain areas, but instead be allowed to compete freely among themselves.

He further stated that the only places where zoning should be applied are Nairobi and Mombasa counties, and apart from this, there should be no problem if each party within the broader united opposition fields candidates to compete against their rivals within the alliance.

“Hakuna shida wacha tupambane, kila chama ni independent. Ile kitu tutasikizana kama united opposition ni mambo ya rais pekee yake na  labda Nairobi na Mombasa.” Gachagua stated

He went ahead to assure Kenyans that despite there being no zoning for governor, senator, woman representative, MP and MCA seats, the united opposition shall have one presidential candidate whom they will all rally behind to face President William Ruto, their main challenger in 2027.

Gachagua’s change of stance

Gachagua now appears to contradict his earlier stance during the 2025 by-elections, where he was a strong advocate of zoning. During that period, he called for zoning within the united opposition, arguing that a party which enjoyed significant support in a certain region should be allowed to field the candidate while others within the opposition shelved their ambitions and rallied behind the chosen aspirant.

This was evident in Malava, where his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Edgar Busiega ceded ground to Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP-K) candidate Seth Panyako, whose party was believed to be dominant in the region.

In Kisia East, where Gachagua’s candidate Dickson Aduda won over DAP-K’s candidate, there were push and pull dynamics between the two parties, but DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala refused to withdraw their candidate until he eventually won.

Mbeere North zoning

The same applied in Mbeere North, where his DCP candidate Duncan Mbui also ceded ground for Democratic Party (DP) candidate Newton Kariuki, alias Karish, and joined Moses Kuria’s led Chama Cha Kazi Party during the mini-polls.

Other zoning arrangements took place in Magarini, where Wiper agreed to cede ground for Gachagua’s DCP candidate.