Gachagua Opens Door to Alliance With Sifuna Ahead of 2027 Election

Former Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has signaled that Mount Kenya could back Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna in the 2027 presidential election, even offering to serve as Sifuna’s running mate. He also said Sifuna could serve as his deputy if that arrangement helped remove President William Ruto from office.

Speaking to Kenyans in Spokane, United States, on Saturday evening, Gachagua described Sifuna as an equal partner in the opposition’s effort to find a single candidate. “I am even ready to be his deputy. He can also be my deputy,” he said.

Gachagua said the opposition should not rush its choice, suggesting that a decision could be made between March and May 2027. “There is no hurry. We will make sure we remove President Ruto in the first round of the election,” he said.

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I am even ready to be his deputy. He can also be my deputy. Sifuna is an equal partner in the united opposition process to find a single candidate.

The comments point to a strategy extending beyond Gachagua’s own presidential ambitions. He has spent months building his Democracy for Citizens Party and strengthening his position among Mount Kenya voters after his political dispute with Ruto. His latest remarks suggest he wants the region’s votes to form part of a broader opposition coalition rather than remain an isolated political bloc.

Gachagua dismissed objections that Sifuna could not win Mount Kenya support because he comes from western Kenya. He noted that the region backed Ruto in 2022 even though Ruto was not from Mount Kenya, and rejected claims that Sifuna is too young to become president by referring to Barack Obama’s election as U.S. president at age 47.

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There is no hurry. We will make sure we remove President Ruto in the first round of the election.