NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 17 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed to command the support of nearly 12 million Kenyans as he positions himself for the 2027 presidential race.
Speaking when he hosted community mobilisers from Nyeri, Gachagua said the numbers give him a strong foundation to negotiate with other presidential hopefuls over who should lead Kenya.
The DCP leader said he had completed his mobilisation in Mt Kenya and Nairobi and was now finalising his engagements with the Maasai and Kipsigis communities before sitting down with other opposition leaders to determine who should lead Kenya.
“I have gathered eight million votes from the Mountain. In Nairobi, I have 1 million. The Maasai, 1 million. From the Kipsigis, 600 [thousand]. I am at close to 12 million. So, let us talk. Will you support me here at home? To all the people who have arrived here, this is the report I want to give you: they have told me to run for the presidency,” Gachagua said.
In April, Gachagua called for the opposition to rally behind one presidential candidate, saying the ticket could go to PLP (formerly Narc-Kenya) leader Martha Karua, Jubillee Party Fred Matiang’i, Kalonzo Musyoka or himself. He made the remarks during the burial of former Kirinyaga Senator Daniel Karaba, where several opposition leaders were present.
“We want one candidate, whether it is Martha Karua, Fred Matiang’i, Kalonzo Musyoka or Rigathi Gachagua — it does not matter,” Gachagua said at the time.
The push for a joint opposition candidate has remained part of preparations for the 2027 election, with opposition leaders seeking to coordinate their political activities and avoid splitting their support among several presidential aspirants. In July, the Wantam movement announced an online voting exercise to allow Kenyans to participate in selecting a single opposition candidate to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 election
