The United Opposition is facing internal divisions over the process for selecting and   announcing its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. Co-principals Justin Muturi and Martha Karua have publicly expressed reservations about the approach.   

The leaders have openly disagreed on how and when their flagbearer should be chosen, with Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua proposing to delay the announcement until next year, three months before the polls.   

On July 5, Democratic Party (DP) leader Justine Muturi and People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua disagreed with Gachagua’s proposed approach to selecting the candidate. Gachagua said the opposition should not be pressured to name their presidential candidate, noting that naming their flagbearer earlier would give President William Ruto an edge in next year’s election. He added that they should name their flagbearer in May next year.  

On Sunday, July 5, Muturi went further, endorsing Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as the opposition’s flagbearer to challenge President William Ruto. He said there was no need for fear or delay in naming the opposition’s flagbearer, claiming that President Ruto had already attacked nearly all the key principals linked to the opposition.   

PLP leader Martha Karua separately said leaders within the opposition coalition had yet to establish the structures and rules to guide the identification of a flagbearer.   

There are speculations that Gachagua has secretly endorsed Kalonzo as the coalition’s preferred presidential flagbearer. Kalonzo has publicly stated that he is the coalition’s most suitable candidate, and he has already been identified as the preferred flagbearer by some opposition leaders.   

Karua has cautioned her co-principals against making unilateral declarations that could undermine the opposition’s unity, insisting that any decision would be announced only after consultations among all the leaders.   

Additionally, Jubilee deputy party leader Jeremiah Kioni has warned of serious voter apathy if the party fails to name its flagbearer early enough. He argues that there is no benefit to the United Opposition continuing to delay naming a presidential flagbearer, noting that Kenyans have already made up their minds about the political direction they want the country to take.    

Lack of Unified Strategy  

The greatest threat to the opposition is not President Ruto but the opposition itself. Kenyans are currently facing a high cost of living, youth unemployment, and rising taxes. Yet opposition politics is being defined by competing ambitions and individual branding rather than collective strategy. In such an environment, fragmentation could hand President Ruto an easier path to re-election.  

A movement such as “Linda Mwananchi” has energised parts of the electorate. However, much of this energy remains rooted in political expression rather than in a clear articulation of a governance agenda. Opposition leaders have emerged as effective communicators and mobilisers, but the challenge is to translate this political energy into detailed policy frameworks capable of governing a country.    

Effective politics and governance are distinct. Leadership usually requires not only the ability to challenge authority but also the discipline to manage institutions, design policies, and deliver outcomes.   

Currently, there are competing claims of indispensability. Each co-principal appears convinced of their own centrality, yet none appears able to articulate a unified national strategy. Additionally, the political discourse remains centred on familiar names, as though leadership were confined to the established political class.  

It’s obvious that the opposition’s biggest challenge is not President Ruto; it’s itself. Delayed decision-making and competing ambitions pose a greater threat to the opposition’s electoral prospects than to President Ruto.