Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has declared that the Mt Kenya region will unite behind a single opposition candidate in the 2027 General Election, saying the goal is to deny President William Ruto a second term.
Speaking on Sunday at ACK Gitugi Church in Mathioya, Murang’a County, Gachagua said the region has withdrawn its political support from the President and is ready to vote as a bloc.
He said Ruto is well aware that his 2022 victory was largely secured through Mt Kenya votes, support he claimed has since collapsed.
“If the mountain votes as one, he has no chance,” Gachagua said, adding that the President’s only survival strategy now is to divide the region politically.
Gachagua compared the situation to the 1992 elections, when former President Daniel Moi used divide-and-rule tactics to weaken opposition strongholds.
He assured that whoever is selected by the united opposition to face Ruto will enjoy full backing from Mt Kenya.
“We will support the candidate agreed on by the opposition. Whether it is Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Eugene Wamalwa, or even myself, the mountain will vote as one,” he said.
Gachagua, who now leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), said the opposition is already working together and will reveal its full strategy at the right time.
He said the focus in Mt Kenya will not be on political persuasion, but on voter registration and turnout.
“The people here are already decided. Our work is to register voters and ensure they turn out on election day,” he said. “We will vote for anyone, but not Ruto.”
He urged parents to encourage their children aged 18 and above to register as voters, saying turnout would determine the outcome in 2027.
The event brought together several opposition leaders, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, PLP leader Martha Karua, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, former Starehe MP Maina Kamanda, former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, Naivasha MP Jane Kihara, Kitui Senator Enock Wambua and former Attorney General Justin Muturi.
Kalonzo accused President Ruto of using intimidation rhetoric to project political dominance.
“He wants to scare us by claiming he will win easily. Where will those votes come from?” Kalonzo asked, saying the opposition remains focused and united.
Matiang’i called on opposition leaders to put aside personal ambition for the sake of the country.
“If we stay together, we can put Kenya back on the right path. No one should say they must be president,” he said.
Karua warned against what she described as growing disregard for the Constitution, saying Kenya must remain a democracy.
“The law must be respected. If we stand together, no one can break the Constitution,” she said, also urging security agencies to reject unlawful orders.
Wamalwa dismissed claims that opposition leaders were being enticed into government, insisting they would rally behind one candidate.
“We may be many, but we will choose one of us to send William Ruto home,” he said.
