Gachagua reveals the only circumstances in which he will shelve his presidential ambition
By Paulette Mboga, November 6, 2025Rigathi Gachagua has said that he plans to push to be the United Opposition flag bearer but will step aside if the group chooses another candidate.
Speaking on Thursday, November 6, 2025, about recent reports and his position in the race, Gachagua insisted he has the numbers and the support needed to challenge President William Ruto. He said he will persuade his colleagues to make him the flag bearer, but if they persuade him that another Kenyan can lead, he will sacrifice.
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He addressed media talk that William Ruto had sponsored newspapers, saying, “Nimeona Kasongo ame sponsor magazeti yake jana. Ohh, Riggy G hasimami, atawachia wengine apewe shares za serikali. Nani amekuambia?” He also said, “Riggy G is a frontrunner in this race.”
Gachagua said his task now is to convince his colleagues. “What I need to do is to persuade my colleagues. I have the numbers. I have enough inspiration to defeat William Ruto. I will persuade my colleagues to make me the flag bearer. If I don’t persuade them and they persuade me that another Kenyan can do it, I will sacrifice,” he said.
He spoke of unity and a shared goal to remove Ruto from power, saying the campaign is for now built around the message “Ruto must go.”
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No hurry to name leader
He said the opposition has a plan called ‘wantam’ and that they are not in a rush to name a single leader.
“We have never sat down, and we are not in a hurry. When we are done mobilising the whole country, then we will sit down and ask ourselves, Nani ataongoza? Hakuna haraka,” he said. He warned that Ruto should not set the agenda for them and urged patience and careful planning.
Gachagua also said he can influence the choice of leader, but he respects the group’s decision process. He made clear that he wants to lead but is ready to accept the collective will if comrades choose otherwise.
For now, he said, the main aim is to unite people against the current leadership and to mobilise support across the country before settling on a single flag bearer.
He also warned, “Mnataka tutangaze mtu saa hii muanze kumwahangaisha.” He said, “For the time being, our candidate is ‘Ruto must go’, and our plan for now is wantam.”