Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says he is ready to drop his presidential ambitions and support another opposition candidate if he is not chosen to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking to Kenyans in Dallas, Texas, Gachagua said opposition leaders must put aside personal ambitions and agree on one presidential candidate.
“If it’s not me, I’ll support whoever it is unconditionally,” Gachagua said, challenging other opposition leaders to make the same commitment publicly. Pasted text
Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for Citizens Party, has previously expressed interest in the presidency. But he told the Dallas gathering that defeating Ruto should take priority over individual political ambitions.
He said the eventual candidate should be selected based on what gives the opposition the strongest practical strategy, rather than past political alliances or personal relationships.
One opposition leader could walk away
Gachagua also made a bold prediction about the opposition coalition.
Drawing comparisons with the 2002 election, when opposition leaders united behind Mwai Kibaki, he predicted that most opposition leaders would eventually agree on one presidential candidate — but one politician could break away.
“One single presidential candidate will be announced. One person will go away,” he said.
He did not name the politician he believes could leave the alliance.
Gachagua said he would not be the one to walk away and urged supporters of different presidential hopefuls to stop attacking potential coalition partners.
The former deputy president also made sweeping claims about the opposition’s chances in 2027, saying a united candidate could win more than 75 per cent of the vote. Earlier in the speech, he said his preferred target was an 80 per cent victory.
Those figures are Gachagua’s political projections and should not be interpreted as independent election forecasts.
He also claimed a “scientific poll” conducted last month placed Ruto’s support at 17 per cent. However, he did not identify the pollster, sample size, methodology or respondents, making the claim impossible to independently assess from his speech.
‘Protect the vote’
Gachagua also addressed concerns about the integrity of the 2027 election.
He argued that counting votes at polling stations and declaring results at constituency level makes it harder to interfere with the final presidential tally.
He referenced a recent High Court ruling barring the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission from altering presidential results already declared at constituency level.
Gachagua said opposition supporters should vote early and remain vigilant as results are counted, although responsibility for securing polling stations and conducting elections rests with the IEBC and other institutions operating under electoral law.
His Dallas remarks put a major question back at the centre of Kenya’s 2027 political conversation: Can opposition leaders with competing presidential ambitions actually agree on one candidate?
Gachagua says his answer is yes — even if that candidate is not him.
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