Gachagua hosts opposition leaders as 2027 poll heat rises

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday hosted opposition leaders at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County, as political realignments intensified ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Gachagua welcomed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and People’s Liberation Party Leader Martha Karua to the closed-door meeting.

The gathering comes days after Matiang’i officially declared his presidential bid at Gusii Stadium in Kisii County.

Matiang’i’s rally in Kisii last weekend drew thousands, paralysing business along Capital-Hospital Road as his convoy made its way through the town.

 The crowd prompted organisers to shift the venue from Kisii Capital Roundabout to the larger Gusii Stadium.

However, the meeting comes even as Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohammed dismissed the new opposition alliance as a recycled outfit with no fresh ideas.

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Speaking on Sunday during an interdenominational church service in Migori County attended by President William Ruto, Junet, who is the National Assembly Minority Leader, ridiculed the alliance’s unveiling as political theatre that offers nothing new to Kenyans.

“The photo we saw, they called ‘Odyssey of Hope, New Dawn,’ betrays them. What is new in those leaders? These are the same people we have struggled with and they never made a mark in the country. It is like comedy has returned to politics,” said Junet.

The alliance, which recently launched its campaign in Kisii County with a rallying cry of “Ruto Must Go,” has drawn criticism from Kenya Kwanza leaders who accuse it of recycling outdated slogans.

Junet said Matiang’i’s presidential bid was uninspiring. “People had high expectations for Matiang’i’s declaration. Instead, he launched what we have heard for years, ‘Ruto Must Go.’ That slogan does not need a launch. Just grab a mic in Nairobi and shout it,” he added.

 The legislator added that calls to remove sitting presidents have long been part of Kenya’s political noise. “It has been around since I was in primary school, ‘Moi Must Go,’ then ‘Uhuru Must Go’ and guess what, they all finished their terms,” he noted.

He criticised the alliance for lacking a substantive agenda, warning that endless rallies and slogans would not address the real needs of Kenyans. “You are forming alliances with no agenda for mama mboga or boda boda riders and your big idea is to shout someone out of office. That is not politics,” said Junet.

 Reaffirming his loyalty to President Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza and ODM cooperation deal, Junet cautioned fellow ODM members against deviating from the coalition’s shared objectives.

“Some of our people in ODM think politics is about who shouts the loudest. Let me remind them, we signed ten agreements to bring Kenyans together. That is the script I am reading from. It seems they have their own MOU,” added Junet.