The newspapers on Wednesday, October 21, reported on a wide range of topics, with the politics building up to the 2027 General Election getting prominence across the pages; Linda Mwananchi leader and Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna may not be on the ballot, after Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) deputy leader Cleophas Malala explaining that the senator is open to supporting whoever the oppositon fronts.
Source: UGC
1. Daily Nation
The newspaper reported on the opposition having begun negotiations to settle on a joint presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto in the August 10, 2027 presidential election, with less than 10 months remaining before the polls.
The push for a common candidate follows a meeting on Tuesday between leaders allied to Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua and Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi faction at Wamunyoro in Nyeri County.
Described as an introductory meeting, the talks went beyond breaking the ice, with leaders from both camps agreeing to work towards a united presidential ticket and support whoever emerges as the opposition’s flag bearer.
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Speaking to the Nation, DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala said the two teams had agreed to work together and begin exploring how to select a single candidate to face Ruto next year.
He said the leaders had committed themselves to supporting whoever was chosen to carry the opposition’s presidential flag, regardless of who won the nomination.
"We have not started discussing the details (of how to choose a presidential candidate), but at least this was a meeting to break the ice and create a conducive environment for our subsequent talks. However, there are certain commitments that we have made," Malala said.
"One is that whoever will be chosen we will support and whoever will not be lucky, will work with the team as our focus is to remove William Ruto from the helm,” he added.
Malala said the two camps planned to meet Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka next week before turning to the finer details of selecting a joint presidential candidate.
"After the two meetings, we will be able to craft a way in which one of the three will fly the ticket and the other will deputise the chosen one," he said.
He said the meeting marked the beginning of a united opposition effort and would pave the way for joint rallies across the country.
"We are now friends and we can attend joint rallies. They can come to the Mountain or go anywhere with us. As DCP, we are planning the Western tour and so we will be able to work with the Linda Mwananchi team because it is now binding that we shall be working together in the 2027 General Election," Malala said.
The Linda Mwananchi faction is scheduled to hold a rally in Kwale County on October 31 as it takes its campaign to the Coast region.
For his part, Gachagua said the meeting was intended to demonstrate that the opposition was united behind the goal of removing President Ruto from power.
"I wanted us to be together and agree that we are one team and we mean well for the country. We are very simple people even though some people have branded us otherwise. We are not tribal as some people have called us because when we supported Ruto, he was not a Kamau or Njoroge but a Kalenjin. He was a Kipchirchir but we still supported him. Let nobody tell you we are tribal," he said.
During his tour of the United States last month, Gachagua indicated that he was willing to deputise Mr Sifuna if the senator emerged as the opposition’s preferred presidential candidate.
Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya told the Nation to expect a major political development, saying negotiations were progressing behind the scenes as opposition leaders explored possible alliances.
"Soon, we will have a joint candidate, joint manifesto and an angled attack on the incumbent who we must democratically remove from power in 2027," Natembeya said.
Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga, a close ally of Sifuna, said the Wamunyoro meeting was an important step towards uniting the opposition and bringing its leaders together.
"That was an opportunity we have yearned for and we had a very candid discussion because we want our leaders to be united. For sure the dream of having one opposition is coming true and the meeting was part of the journey,” said Kalasinga, a Ford Kenya MP who has broken ranks with his party and is supporting Sifuna’s presidential bid.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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