Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has urged his opposition counterparts to name a presidential candidate immediately to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking at ACK St. Andrew's Church in Kiambu County during a church service on Sunday, the former Attorney General said opposition supporters deserve to know their presidential candidate as early as possible to allow for an effective and spirited campaign.
“We are being unfair to our people. It is time to name our presidential flag bearer without further delay. Our supporters deserve clarity, certainty, and a leader they can rally behind. The longer we wait, the more we deny our people the direction and confidence they need. The time to act is now,” Muturi said.
Muturi drew comparisons to the 2024 US presidential election, arguing that the Democratic Party acted too late when then-President Joe Biden stepped aside and Vice President Kamala Harris became the party's presidential candidate.
“You saw in the US when President Joe Biden realised he was not in good standing. By the time they saw Biden could not make it and brought in Kamala, it was too late,” he said.
The ex-Cabinet Secretary said the opposition needs to plan ahead, noting that a presidential campaign involves extensive logistics that require adequate preparation.
He said that it was unfair for opposition leaders to keep Kenyans in the dark over who would fly the coalition's presidential flag.
“We are not being fair to you by remaining silent and always telling you, ‘tutawaambia.’ Lini?” he posed.
Muturi's remarks come amid fresh divisions within the opposition coalition over how to identify its presidential flagbearer for the 2027 General Election, exposing cracks in the alliance.
The disagreements played out publicly on Sunday, July 5, when some coalition principals, including Muturi and People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, differed with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's proposed timeline for naming the coalition's candidate.
Gachagua has maintained that the opposition should not be rushed into naming its presidential candidate, arguing that an early announcement would give President Ruto an opportunity to target or divide the coalition's flagbearer ahead of the election.
According to Gachagua, the opposition can wait until May 2027, just three months before the General Election, to unveil its candidate.
“We can name a candidate as late as May 15, 2027. That is the deadline for naming a candidate. Ruto, we will not give you an opportunity to intimidate our flag bearer or the advantage to divide us,” Gachagua said during an event on July 3.