According to Democracy for Citizens Party deputy leader Cleophas Malala, the race essentially comes down to one person the man who once sat a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Speaking after a church service at PCEA Illasit Church in Kajiado South on Sunday, May 3, 2026, Malala named former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as the most dangerous political opponent Ruto will face at the ballot.
His reasoning was straightforward: you cannot effectively challenge a system you have never been part of.
"Kutoa Ruto inahitaji mwanaume mwenye anamuelewa na amefanya kazi na yeye. Tukiangalia vizuri, na mimi nimefanya kazi kama SG UDA, huyo ni Gachagua," Malala said.
The argument cuts through the noise of 2027 speculation cleanly insider knowledge, he insists, is the one weapon no outside challenger can replicate.
Gachagua, impeached as Deputy President in October 2024, has since rebuilt with a speed that has caught many observers off guard.
His Democracy for Citizens Party is pushing into new territory, and Kajiado where he appeared alongside Malala on Sunday is one of the regions he is now openly claiming as his own. "Hii Kajiado ni DCP zone," he declared, to a receptive crowd.
On the question of the presidency itself, Gachagua dropped any remaining ambiguity. Party members, he confirmed, have been pushing him to run in 2027, and he is prepared to answer that call.
"Wanachama wa DCP wamenihimiza kuwania urais mwaka wa 2027, na niko tayari kwa hilo," he said, before turning to the crowd with a direct appeal: "Nataka watu wa Kajiado mnipatie nafasi niwe rais wa sita."
Yet Gachagua was measured enough not to get ahead of the broader opposition process. He acknowledged that talks are continuing toward fielding a united candidate against Ruto, and gave his word that he would back whoever emerges from those consultations, should it not be him.
It is the posture of a man confident in his position but unwilling to fracture an alliance he may still need.
He also took aim at what he described as disrespectful treatment of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta by Kenya Kwanza leaders, arguing that leaving office strips no one of the right to speak on national affairs.
"The former president must be respected. He may have retired from the presidency, but his mind is not retired," Gachagua said, drawing a pointed contrast between programmes rolled out under Kenyatta and what he characterised as shortfalls under the current administration.
Malala added another dimension to the day's proceedings by returning to his campaign for youth inclusion in politics.
Referencing his April 2026 launch of the DCP Youth League, he reiterated his proposal to set aside all 1,450 MCA seats for candidates aged below 35. His son, Leon Major Malala, has already signalled his intention to contest a parliamentary seat in 2027.
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