By Anderson Ojwang
The 2027 presidential election may have three main presidential candidates at the ballot, Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has predicted.
In Gachagua’s prophecy, the incumbent President William Ruto will lead the charge of the broad-based alliance that brings together the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), against the united and joint opposition single presidential candidate and another dissenting opposition presidential candidate.
Already, a section of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) are pointing fingers at a politician from Mt Kenya as the possible running mate to the dissenting opposition presidential candidate.
Prediction
DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua, speaking in the USA, was candid and openly said the opposition will have a single presidential candidate who will ride to victory with 75 per cent of the vote.
“I want to prophesise today, not because I am a prophet but based on experience, foresight and understanding Kenya’s political scene, history would repeat itself.
One single presidential candidate will be announced, one person will go away. That one person will go away on his own and the single presidential candidate will be elected by over 75 per cent of the Kenyans’ votes,” he said.
Gachagua said from experience one of the current presidential aspirants in the opposition will bolt out to run for the presidency in 2027.
“The other one is not a prophecy but it is a fact. Riggy will be part of the winning team. Because Riggy will not be part of the fellow that will walk away,” he said.
Gachagua said he will not be the one to walk away but will be committed to supporting the chosen single presidential candidate.
“He will stick by the arrangement that has been agreed by the people of Kenya,” he said.
Not Our Candidate, Then Highway
Gachagua warned the opposition presidential aspirants to rein in their supporters over statements that could undermine opposition unity.
“I want to tell those who want to be president to tell their supporters to stop some statements I am hearing in Kenya, that if so and so is not the presidential candidate, then we let us vote for Ruto.
Those kind of talk is retrogressive. You have never heard those who support Riggy issue such nonsensical statements,” he warned.
Gachagua asked his colleagues to give clear instructions to their support base and avoid causing unnecessary tension and division.
“I am asking my colleagues in the united opposition to give clear direction to their supporters to also pronounce themselves that they will support whoever is agreed on.
And that rider, if it is not our candidate then Ruto, I don’t think you are genuine that we should get a single presidential candidate,” he said.
Gachagua said he was genuine and committed to supporting a formula to deliver a single presidential candidate.
“For me, I am that genuine. We will look at the formula to arrive at the candidate. I want the people of Kenya to trust me that I have an idea of how this is supposed to be done.
We will do the right thing for the country. It is my patriotic duty to come up and support the most effective formula to defeat Ruto,” he said.
2002 Historical Repeat
Gachagua said the 2002 history of a united opposition and single presidential candidate was in the offing.
“For purpose of history here in Dallas, Texas. Kasongo people are calling my people telling them we will not unite and agree. They will fall out,” he said.
Gachagua, who was personal assistant to the then KANU presidential candidate in 2002, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, told him of a possible opposition unity and that they would lose the elections.
“In 2002, I was supporting Uhuru Kenyatta and I was the personal assistant and he was Moi’s project.
I looked at the situation and I sat him down one morning in his house. I said, boss, I have listened to the people of Kenya; this thing is not doable,” he said.
Gachagua said he told Uhuru that Kenyans would not allow Moi to succeed himself and that was why the project fell apart.
“People have decided that President Daniel Moi will not succeed and he will not succeed himself and there will be change. Boss, these guys will come up with one candidate,” he said.
Quit or Stay
Gachagua said he advised Uhuru to stay on course in order to build networks for the future.
“He asked me what do we do and do we withdraw from the race? I told him no, let’s continue but let us not spend too much, but we prepare the ground for the future. For winning, it is not possible,” he said.
Gachagua said Moi supporters then were chest-thumping just like the current Ruto supporters and they will be shocked by the outcome.
“So some of Moi supporters said Raila could not support Mwai Kibaki, Wamalwa Kijana could not support Raila. Just now Kasongo people are talking in the same way Moi people were talking,” he said.
The Declaration
Gachagua, the famous Kibaki Tosha, drove the late Mwai Kibaki to victory, while Uhuru and Moi were humbled at the ballot by Kenyans.
“One day at Uhuru Park, there was a meeting and it was declared Kibaki Tosha,” he said.
The Walk Out
After the proclamation of Kibaki Tosha, former Cabinet Minister and leader of FORD-P, the late Simeon Nyachae, walked out from the united opposition and performed dismally.
“There was one candidate. Nyachae went away and he went alone and one candidate was named,” he said.
Nyachae performed dismally and later quit politics, leaving his political flock wandering in the desert.
