Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has thrown the united opposition into fresh turmoil after demanding that the outfit’s co-principals endorse his 2027 presidential bid.
Gachagua, who now leads the DCP Party is relying on Mt. Kenya region’s vast voting bloc to stake his claim as the opposition’s flagbearer, a move that has exposed deep fractures within the opposition.
Gachagua and his allies have framed their argument around what they call the “Mt. Kenya Ultimatum,” insisting that the region’s numerical strength is indispensable to any successful presidential campaign in 2027.
They argue that Mt. Kenya’s estimated six million votes form the decisive base is needed to unseat the current administration.
In a series of rallies and closed-door meetings, Gachagua has asserted that his region can “do the heavy lifting” in 2027.
He claims Mt. Kenya can deliver over six million votes and that support from other opposition leaders would merely serve as a “top-up” to his tally.
This has been interpreted by many as a direct challenge to other coalition partners like Kalonzo Musyoka and Fred Matiang’i, from regions with smaller voter populations.
Gachagua has publicly challenged Musyoka to demonstrate his electoral strength, suggesting that Ukambani should deliver at least four million votes if its leaders wish to negotiate for the top seat in 2027.
This statement has raised fears of a renewed “tyranny of numbers” narrative within the group.
The mistrust in the united opposition reached a boiling point after the abrupt cancellation of planned joint rallies of Isiolo and Meru counties led by Peter Munya’s PNU.
Peter Munya is accusing Gachagua’s camp of undermining joint mobilization efforts for the rally. The cancellation has fueled speculation that the outfit is on the verge of collapse.
Allies of Fred Matiang’i in the Jubilee Party have cautioned that Gachagua’s confrontational style risks weakening the opposition’s national appeal.
One senior ally described his approach as “a bull in a china shop,” warning that his ethnically charged rhetoric could fracture the united opposition and inadvertently strengthen President William Ruto’s re-election prospects in 2027.
