Despite displaying and constantly talking about their unity, the United Opposition Movement is grappling with serious disquiet over when and how it should choose a joint candidate to face President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Leaders in the Opposition are openly disagreeing on how and when their flagbearers should be chosen. They are as well facing the Herculean task of settling on a party or coalition for this venture.
Currently, fresh divisions have emerged within them over how to identify their presidential flagbearer for the 2027 General Election, exposing cracks in the coalition's unity.
The disagreements played out publicly on Sunday, July 5, when some coalition principals, including former Attorney General Justin Muturi and People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, disagreed with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's proposed approach to selecting the candidate.
Gachagua, who leads the DCP Party, had earlier indicated that the opposition should not be pressured to name their presidential candidate, stating that naming their flagbearer earlier would give President William Ruto an edge in the 2027 presidential race.
According to Gachagua, the opposition would name its candidate as late as May 2027, three months before the elections.
Opposition principals, including former Attorney General Justin Muturi and People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, disagreed with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's proposed approach to selecting the candidate.
"We can name a candidate as late as May 15, 2027. That is the deadline for naming a candidate. Ruto, we will not allow you to intimidate our flagbearer or take advantage to divide us," Gachagua stated during an event on July 3.
However, Muturi, while speaking during a church service on Sunday, publicly disagreed with Gachagua, noting that the coalition should expedite the process of choosing a candidate early.
"We do not have a candidate because we are afraid that when we name him, William Ruto will do something to the candidate. He knows all of us; what can he do?" the Democratic Party (DP) leader posed.
Muturi further went ahead and publicly endorsed Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka to carry the opposition flag to challenge President William Ruto in 2027.
Muturi said there is no need for fear or delay in the opposition naming the flag bearer, arguing that President William Ruto had already attacked nearly all the key leaders linked to the alliance.
Muturi also stressed that he does not want to be pushed into decisions and warned against internal divisions within the opposition.
“But that does not mean wengine hawana maoni yao. Lakini tuwacheni haya mambo ya kushinda…,” he added.
He regretted that public disagreements only benefit President Ruto.
Muturi’s comments come at a time when opposition leaders are working to form a united front ahead of the 2027 General Election. Several leaders have expressed interest in the coalition’s top ticket, including Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, and other senior politicians.
The opposition has repeatedly stated that it intends to field a single presidential candidate to challenge President Ruto.
The growing divisions come even as the coalition insists that they remain united by a single goal of defeating Ruto in 2027, saying that they cannot be divided.
The co-principals are all drumming up support to be named as the group's flagbearer, but maintain that they will support whoever is settled on as the ultimate candidate.
Currently, Gachagua is camping at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri, where he said he would be in a 45-day consultation to try to determine who is best to represent the coalition in 2027.
At the same time, the broad-based formation is also engaged in quiet strategic positioning as coalition talks continue behind the scenes. ODM leader Oburu Oginga has defended the slow pace of talks between his party and President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), saying the delay is deliberate and meant to protect their negotiating strength.
Speaking in Kisumu on July 4, 2026, Oburu said early disclosure of coalition plans would give political opponents an advantage.
“If we try to make a coalition arrangement too early, we are going to give our opponents some clue of what we want to do, and they can shoot it from far away very early,” he said.
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