Cracks are becoming increasingly visible within Kenya’s opposition as former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua finds himself at the centre of growing disagreements with fellow coalition leaders over strategy, leadership and the race for the 2027 presidential ticket.
Although the opposition has consistently presented a united front against President William Ruto’s administration, a series of public exchanges in recent months has exposed underlying tensions between Gachagua and key allies, including Martha Karua, Fred Matiang’i, Justin Muturi and Jubilee deputy party leader Jeremiah Kioni.
One of the biggest sticking points has been Gachagua’s proposal that the opposition delays naming its presidential flag bearer until closer to the 2027 general election.
The former deputy president argues that unveiling a candidate too early would expose the nominee to sustained political attacks and attempts to fracture the coalition. However, the proposal has met resistance from some of his allies, who want the alliance to establish clear structures and a transparent process for selecting its candidate.
People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has openly challenged Gachagua on several fronts. Besides dismissing his claims of being the undisputed political kingpin of the Mt Kenya region, Karua has insisted that no individual should dictate the coalition’s direction or the process of identifying its presidential candidate. She has maintained that such decisions must be made collectively through agreed coalition organs.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has also differed with Gachagua’s camp over how the opposition should settle on a flag bearer. Matiang’i has pushed for what he describes as a scientific and transparent selection process rather than political agreements negotiated behind closed doors, warning that a flawed nomination process could split the coalition before the election.
The tensions escalated further when Gachagua publicly accused Jubilee deputy party leader Jeremiah Kioni of working to sow discord within the opposition after Kioni questioned Gachagua’s growing focus on strengthening his Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
Kioni argued that Gachagua appeared to be concentrating more on building his own political vehicle than strengthening the broader coalition, allegations that Gachagua’s allies dismissed as an attempt to divide the opposition.
