A renewed political confrontation has emerged ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election following former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s recent call for the opposition to unite behind a single presidential candidate.
In commentary shared regarding the shifting alliances, Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai argued that President William Ruto is unsettled by Kenyatta’s public appearances and unity appeals.
According to Alai, Ruto previously assumed that Kenyatta held animosity toward former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, but following the public reconciliation between Kenyatta and Gachagua, Ruto has realized that the former president’s political opposition is directed squarely at him.
Reports from Citizen TV and Capital FM indicate that Kenyatta urged opposition figures—including Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka—to set aside individual ambitions and rally behind one flagbearer to challenge Ruto in 2027.
During the engagement, Kenyatta stated that citizens had already made up their minds regarding the next election, leaving opposition cohesion as the primary remaining hurdle.
Gachagua, who previously clashed with Kenyatta during the 2022 campaign and his early tenure as Deputy President, expressed regret over their past fallout and pledged that nothing would divide them again.
President Ruto, however, swiftly dismissed Kenyatta’s remarks during a rally in Kisii. As reported by Capital FM, Ruto questioned the credibility of the former president’s grassroots assessments, advising him to consult sober professionals—such as farmers, teachers, doctors, and Affordable Housing workers—rather than relying on informal village gatherings.
Ruto has previously accused Kenyatta of acting as a behind-the-scenes sponsor for an opposition coalition that, in Ruto’s view, lacks a clear policy alternative to his administration’s development agenda.
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