NYERI — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday hosted veteran politician and NARC Party leader Charity Ngilu at his Wamunyoro residence for talks focused on opposition unity and lessons from Kenya’s historic 2002 political realignment.X
In a statement posted on X after the meeting, Gachagua described Ngilu as the “Iron Lady of Kenyan politics” and credited her as a key architect of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which, alongside the late President Mwai Kibaki and Kijana Wamalwa, ended KANU’s long hold on power.Peopledaily
“This morning, I benefited greatly from Hon. Ngilu’s wisdom as she took me through how NARC was crafted and implemented,” Gachagua said. “She shared with me the strategy and insights they employed, as well as what we need to do to liberate our country from agents of corruption and impunity and lead it into prosperity.”X
He added that the lessons would be instrumental and declared that Kenya was facing “a 2002 moment.” Gachagua promised that the opposition would identify one presidential candidate who would win by a landslide in the 2027 General Election.Peopledaily
The meeting forms part of a series of high-level consultations Gachagua has held at Wamunyoro. In recent weeks he has hosted Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and leaders of the Linda Mwananchi movement, as well as Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka, with discussions centring on opposition cooperation and the selection of a single presidential flagbearer.Peopledaily
Ngilu, a former Kitui Governor, Kitui Central MP and Cabinet Secretary for Water, contested the presidency in 1997 and played a prominent role in the multiparty politics that produced the NARC victory. She is currently positioning herself for a return to the Kitui gubernatorial seat in 2027.Opera
The engagement comes amid ongoing efforts by opposition leaders to build a united front against President William Ruto, even as internal rivalries and competing ambitions continue to surface within the broader opposition ranks.
