Gachagua: I can be Sifuna’s running mate if he has numbers to beat Ruto

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has opened up the possibilities for opposition alliances in the 2027 Kenyan presidential election, suggesting he would be willing to serve as Edwin Sifuna's running mate if Sifuna emerges as the candidate best positioned to defeat President William Ruto. Speaking in Spokane, Washington, Gachagua emphasized that personal ambitions should not hinder forming a winning alliance and noted that even presidential contenders must be prepared to take a deputy role if electoral mathematics dictate it.

Gachagua urged Kenyans to first establish which opposition leader commands the strongest support before settling on the presidential ticket, stating, "If we do our arithmetic and find that Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna will send President William Ruto home early, so be it. And there is no problem, by the way, even I, Riggy G, can deputise Sifuna."

He also indicated that the same arrangement could apply to Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, implying that the ticket could be built around whichever opposition politician demonstrates the greatest capacity to defeat Ruto.

The opposition could potentially create an unconventional ticket combining younger politicians with more experienced leaders, according to Gachagua, who drew cheers from the audience with this vision. He further stressed that the opposition is considering serious presidential aspirants, including himself, Sifuna, and Kalonzo Musyoka, dismissing arguments that Sifuna is not adequately prepared for the 2027 presidential bid.

Gachagua argued that Sifuna, at 44, is comparable to the ages at which other world leaders attained the presidency, such as Barack Obama at 47 and Franklin D. Roosevelt at 42. He encouraged Sifuna not to be discouraged by anyone and to test his popularity in the political arena.