NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 10 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says he will rally Mt Kenya voters behind Kalonzo Musyoka, who is being discussed as a possible joint presidential nominee for the United Opposition in the 2027 elections.
Addressing mourners during the funeral of Herbert Kariithi Macharia in Ithanga, Murang’a County, on Tuesday, Gachagua claimed President Ruto’s support in the region would be minimal.
“The mountain has decided that its votes will go into one basket.I want to assure Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa—speaking from the mountain,the mountain’s vote will go into one basket. All the candidates Ruto will support in this region will collectively get 50,000 votes, and then seven million votes will go into one basket,”Gachagua stated.
He told the gathering that Mt Kenya would place its votes in one basket, and argued that United Opposition candidates would collectively secure millions of votes from the region, leaving only a small share for Ruto-backed contenders.
The emerging coalition brings together Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), Eugene Wamalwa’s Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP-K), Kalonzo’s Wiper Party, Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party (PLP), and Justin Muturi’s Democratic Party (DP). The grouping has not yet settled on a single candidate to challenge President William Ruto.
Relations between Gachagua and Ruto have remained tense since Gachagua’s impeachment in October 2024. Since then, the former deputy president has been building a national network under the “Wantam” slogan.
Gachagua also criticised what he described as online attempts to drive a wedge within the coalition, insisting that the region was united in rejecting certain political options even if it had not yet settled on a preferred candidate.
“I have seen people online pretending to be in the United Opposition while trying to divide this community, but they do not know this community. They are lost; they do not understand us. The mountain has six million votes, but from the look of things, it will hit eight million. The region has not decided who it will vote for, but it has decided who it will not vote for,” Gachagua said.
Mt Kenya was decisive in the 2022 presidential race, where the Ruto–Gachagua ticket narrowly defeated Azimio la Umoja, securing 7.1 million votes against Azimio’s 6.9 million. Gachagua has repeatedly suggested that President Ruto will struggle to retain the region’s support in 2027 following their political break.
Kalonzo, who also spoke at the funeral, said the United Opposition was committed to credible elections and pledged that the coalition would deliver a victory that could not be manipulated, saying it would reflect the will of the Kenyan people.
