Jubilee Party presidential aspirant Dr Fred Matiang’i has downplayed reports of growing divisions within the United Opposition, saying disagreements among its leaders should not be mistaken for infighting.
Matiang’i said the coalition was made up of independent political leaders with different views and interests, arguing that the existence of divergent opinions was a normal feature of a democratic political movement.
Speaking during an interview with K24, the former Interior Cabinet Secretary dismissed suggestions that the Opposition was experiencing internal wrangling.
“I cannot say there is infighting,” Matiang’i said.
“Siwezi kusema kwamba kuna mvutano. What is there is differences in opinions, which is okay. What is democracy anyway?”
Matiang’i said the United Opposition was not structured around a single leader who exercised authority over the rest, noting that the political formation was still in the process of building a cohesive team ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“It cannot be that United Opposition is like a seminary, there is mother superior. United Opposition does not have a coach, supervisor, high priest or somebody who is above everybody. We are leaders who have come together,” he said.
He said the Opposition leaders would first have to build a strong political team before settling on who would lead it into the 2027 election.
“We are in the process of turning the group into a team, and then this team will have a captain,” Matiang’i said.
“You first form a team, then pick the captain, but you cannot pick the captain then form the team.”
His remarks come against the backdrop of growing tensions within the United Opposition as political parties and leaders position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
At the centre of some of the disagreements is former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), which has been seeking to establish itself as a dominant political vehicle in the Mt Kenya region.
Gachagua has found himself at the centre of disagreements over the structure and leadership of the Opposition coalition, even as he has urged rival leaders to avoid public confrontations that could weaken their collective efforts to challenge the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The former Deputy President has called for a truce among Opposition leaders and urged them to concentrate on building a formidable grassroots political movement ahead of the elections.
Gachagua’s critics accuse him of attempting to position himself as a gatekeeper to the Mount Kenya vote and of seeking to control political access to the region.
They argue that such an approach could create divisions within the Opposition and turn the broader campaign against President William Ruto into a contest driven by individual political ambitions.
Gachagua’s allies have rejected the accusations, arguing that parties seeking a place in the Opposition coalition should demonstrate their grassroots support rather than rely on negotiations conducted by a small group of political leaders.
