Gachagua calls for opposition vote consolidation ahead of 2027 poll

Speaking after a 55-day nationwide listening tour, Gachagua said the country needs a leader who listens to citizens and embodies their will.

“I will be the unifying factor in identifying the single presidential candidate to face William Ruto,” Gachagua said.

He said the opposition’s immediate task should not focus solely on choosing a presidential candidate, but on consolidating votes across different regions.

Gachagua said winning the presidency requires a clear formula beginning with regional mobilisation and consolidation.

“Picking a candidate is a small task. Kila mtu aunganishe kura zake, mimi zangu nimemaliza,” he said.

The former Deputy President said he was ready to traverse the country to mobilise support for himself or whichever candidate is eventually selected to face Ruto.

He also said the people of the Mt Kenya region had made their position clear ahead of 2027.

“Watu wa Mlima tumemaliza, wamesema hapa ni one term,” he said, suggesting the region is opposed to Ruto securing a second term.

Gachagua defended his continued focus on Mt Kenya, saying political mobilisation must begin from a leader’s home base.

“They ask why I spend time in the Mountain every time. I am a smart politician; charity begins at home,” he said.

He said his nationwide engagement was prompted by what he described as the “dire” state of the country and a desire to listen to Kenyans who had remained unheard.

According to Gachagua, delegations comprising clergy, political leaders, elders, aspirants, professionals, youth, women and retired and serving civil servants visited him during the consultations.

He said Kenyans raised concerns across education, healthcare, agriculture, security, the economy and devolution.

On education, he said citizens want better-funded free primary and secondary education, free TVET education and reforms to the university funding model.

On healthcare, he said Kenyans want medicines in public hospitals, a motivated health workforce and sustainable health financing.

Gachagua said farmers were struggling with rising food and farm-input costs, while on the economy, he accused the government of imposing a tax burden that had reduced household earnings.

He also called for accountability over abductions and what he termed “goon culture”, as well as a public inquest into the 2024 Gen Z protests.

On foreign affairs, Gachagua questioned how Kenyan citizens ended up in the Russia-Ukraine war zone and called for a shift from political diplomacy to economic diplomacy focused on the interests of ordinary Kenyans.

He further said Kenyans want strategic public assets that have been sold returned to public ownership if a new administration takes power.

Gachagua said residents had also asked him to develop a comprehensive policy document covering various sectors and present it to Kenyans for validation.

“The people told me to develop a policy paper on all sectors and present a blueprint for validation,” he said.

He claimed that the covenant between the government and Kenyans had been broken, with several promises remaining unfulfilled.

As he looks towards the 2027 contest, Gachagua said political leaders must first consolidate their respective regions before settling on a presidential candidate.

He said choosing one candidate would ultimately be easier than bringing together the votes needed to defeat Ruto.

“There comes a time in life when a patriot must make a sacrifice,” Gachagua said.