Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has registered a higher presidential preference than former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua among supporters of Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), according to a new TIFA Research survey released on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
The finding comes amid growing political engagement between the two leaders as opposition figures explore possible cooperation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In its analysis of presidential preferences across supporters of the main political parties, the survey revealed:
“The preferred 2027 presidential winners among declared supporters of the main political parties are largely what one would expect, with nearly all supporters of UDA, Linda Mwananchi and Wiper hoping their respective party leaders win (UDA: Ruto, Linda Mwananchi: Sifuna, Wiper: Kalonzo, and Jubilee: Matiang’I, though support for the latter is rather weak by comparison (just 57%). What stands out, however, is that Sifuna is more popular than Gachagua among DCP supporters (34% vs. 25%), and is almost as popular among ODM supporters as Ruto (33% vs. 42%). Also, aside from Matiang’I, Ruto is more popular among Jubilee supporters than any possible Opposition candidate.”
The findings provide a glimpse into how presidential preferences are distributed within political parties, showing that party affiliation does not necessarily mean supporters will favour their own leaders in a presidential contest.
The DCP figures are particularly notable because Gachagua leads the party, yet Sifuna records a higher preference among its supporters.
The survey also found that Sifuna attracts considerable support among ODM supporters, where he records 33 per cent against Ruto’s 42 per cent.
Within UDA, President William Ruto commands 85 per cent preference among the party’s supporters, while Sifuna receives 90 per cent among Linda Mwananchi supporters.
Wiper supporters largely favour their party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, while 57 per cent of Jubilee supporters prefer former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.
The results suggest that presidential preferences are not entirely confined to party boundaries, with candidates attracting support from outside their established political formations.
However, the DCP findings represent respondents who support the party and should not be interpreted as proof that Sifuna is more popular than Gachagua across the entire Mt Kenya region.
The survey comes against the backdrop of Gachagua’s insistence that Mt Kenya voters should not automatically support a presidential candidate without first negotiating the region’s interests.
Speaking during the Ngemi cia Watho Cultural Festival in Thika on Saturday, November 7, Gachagua recalled the region’s decision to support Ruto in the 2022 General Election.
“We gave Kasongo our votes without thinking or even talking. We simply handed them over. This time, before getting the votes of the mountain, there must be discussions,” Gachagua said.
He further warned against making political endorsements without proper consultations.
“Never again shall we just give our votes to anybody just like that? We have to look and study, interrogate, consult, review and make an informed decision,” he said.
The TIFA findings add another dimension to that debate by showing that a section of DCP supporters currently prefer a potential opposition partner over their own party leader in the presidential contest.
The relationship between the two politicians has attracted attention following their October 20 meeting at Gachagua’s Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri County.
Gachagua welcomed Sifuna and other Linda Mwananchi leaders, describing them as “my cousins from Linda Mwananchi” and adding: “When we come together great things must happen.”
The meeting brought together politicians from different political backgrounds, including Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
Gachagua has also indicated that he could take a deputy position in a possible opposition ticket led by Sifuna.
“I can deputise Sifuna,” he said while discussing possible opposition ticket arrangements.
Sifuna has defended his political engagement with leaders from different regions, arguing that cooperation should not be restricted by geographical or political boundaries.
“Yesterday, some people saw us somewhere with someone, and they now want to tell us that there is a region in this country where none of us is supposed to associate with,” Sifuna said after the meeting.
Although Sifuna records a higher preference than Gachagua among DCP supporters, the survey does not establish whether those supporters would back a joint ticket or whether their preferences would translate into support across the wider Mt Kenya region.
The figures also show that Ruto retains considerable support among some opposition party supporters, including ODM and Jubilee, complicating assumptions about how political support would shift in a coalition contest.
For Sifuna and Gachagua, the findings provide a measure of the preferences within one section of the opposition electorate. The wider question remains whether the political relationships being built between opposition leaders can produce an agreed presidential arrangement acceptable to their respective supporters.
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