Party of National Unity (PNU) leader Peter Munya has rejected calls to use former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Wamunyoro residence as the venue for talks aimed at building a united opposition front.
Munya said political decisions that affect the nation should not take place in a private home. He argued that opposition parties should hold negotiations in a neutral space where all leaders can participate on equal terms as they work toward selecting one presidential candidate to take on President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
“Some of us won’t go to Wamunyoro, which is somebody’s private house, to discuss national issues. We can’t go to somebody’s house to discuss national issues and make national decisions,” Munya said during a TV interview on Wednesday night.
His remarks follow growing reports that Wamunyoro has increasingly served as a meeting point for opposition figures and other political actors as the 2027 General Election approaches.
Gachagua launched a 45-day political consultation from his Nyeri residence in June, saying he would engage opinion leaders and key stakeholders before moving to formal negotiations on a joint opposition ticket.
Munya’s comments also underscored the divisions within the opposition over how to manage the process of selecting a candidate to challenge President William Ruto.
While opposition leaders have repeatedly said they want to settle on a single presidential candidate, the path toward that goal has revealed disagreements among parties and individual leaders.
Among the most recent points of contention has been Gachagua’s push for smaller Mt. Kenya parties to dissolve and fold into his Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP). Munya, Justin Muturi, and Lenny Kivuti, among others, have rejected that proposal.
Munya argued that opposition parties should create an inclusive structure that gives all political leaders a voice before they choose a candidate.
“We need neutral places where everybody is comfortable, where we can be able to discuss that structure, an inclusive structure that allows all the bosses in the opposition to participate in the discussions, and then we can arrive at one presidential candidate,” he said.
Munya also questioned whether Gachagua should automatically emerge as the opposition’s presidential candidate, saying a neutral venue would strengthen confidence across different political formations and prevent any single leader from appearing to dominate the talks.