Gachagua Is Only One Who Can Lead the Opposition in 2027, His Deputy Should Be Kalonzo – Ahmednasir

Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi has weighed in on the 2027 succession race, arguing that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is the most natural choice to lead the opposition.

In a statement shared on morning on X account, Ahmednasir described Gachagua as the undisputed kingpin of Central Kenya and said the opposition would make a serious mistake if they sidelined him in favor of weaker candidates.

According to Ahmednasir, Gachagua has the ability to deliver between three and four million votes from his Mt. Kenya base alone.

He argued that this strength makes him the rational option for the presidency, especially if the goal is to mount a serious challenge against President William Ruto.

He dismissed the idea of Gachagua playing “second fiddle” to other figures, noting that most of them command only a fraction of the support that Gachagua enjoys.

Ahmednasir listed the retired Chief Justice David Maraga with an estimated 30,000 to 65,000 votes, Dr. Fred Matiang’i with 300,000 to 400,000 votes, Eugene Wamalwa with 100,000 to 150,000 votes, and Justin Muturi with about 100,000 to 120,000 votes.

He also placed Martha Karua at between 100,000 and 200,000 votes, though he suggested that she could inherit Gachagua’s Central Kenya stronghold—estimated at three to four million votes—if courts bar him from running.

Kalonzo Musyoka, he added, could bring in between 2 million and 2.4 million votes from his Ukambani base.

“With this kind of tabulation, the opposition should not waste time on useless debates. They must urgently agree on the ministries and portfolios each leader will take, then settle on a Gachagua-Musyoka ticket,” Ahmednasir said.

The lawyer emphasized that the opposition needs “clarity of thought and management of hope” if it wants to provide a real alternative to President Ruto.

He argued that endless wrangling over who should be flagbearer would only weaken the movement and give Ruto an easy path to re-election.

His comments come at a time when Gachagua has openly declared his intention to run for president in 2027, positioning himself as Ruto’s chief rival.

Gachagua has been courting different opposition leaders, though he has signaled that he will not step down for anyone, including Kalonzo or Matiang’i.