Fresh divisions have emerged within the united opposition over how to identify its presidential flagbearer for the 2027 General Election, exposing cracks in the coalition's unity.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The disagreements played out publicly on Sunday, July 5, when some coalition principals, including former Attorney General Justin Muturi and People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, disagreed with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's proposed approach to selecting the candidate.

Gachagua had earlier indicated that the opposition should not be pressured to name their presidential candidate, stating that naming their flagbearer earlier would give President William Ruto an edge in the 2027 presidential race.

According to Gachagua, the opposition would name its candidate as late as May 2027, three months before the elections.

📌 What You Need to Know

"We can name a candidate as late as May 15 2027. That is the deadline of naming a candidate. Ruto, we will not give you an opportunity to intimidate our flabearer or the advantage to divide us," Gachagua stated during an event on July 3.

However, Muturi, while speaking during a church service on Sunday, publicly disagreed with Gachagua , noting that the coalition should expedite the process of choosing a candidate early.

"We do not have a candidate because we are afraid that when we name him, William Ruto will do something to the candidate. He knows all of us, what can he do?" the Democratic Party (DP) leader posed.

Muturi further went ahead and publicly endorsed Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka to carry the opposition flag to challenge President William Ruto in 2027.

However, PLP leader Martha Karua rejected claims that the coalition has named its flagbearer, stating that the opposition has no structure in place for choosing and naming a candidate.

"We don't have the rules or the structure of announcing, so if anybody says they are announcing, they are announcing for themselves only and not for the coalition," Karua stated.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke