NAIROBI, Kenya — DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has intensified outreach to Kenyans living abroad, hosting leaders of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Diaspora Chapter in Nairobi and outlining plans to establish satellite offices across multiple continents in 2026.
In a statement shared on social media, Gachagua said the meeting doubled as a Christmas reception and a strategic briefing on the party’s international growth.
He thanked the diaspora leadership for hosting him in the United States in July and August, engagements he said connected DCP with Kenyans living and working there.
“I spent a great day with the DCP Diaspora Chapter as I hosted them for Christmas,” Gachagua wrote, adding that the delegation briefed him on the expansion of DCP chapters worldwide and preparations for his planned visits to other continents next year.
The outreach underscores a deliberate bid by DCP to mobilise diaspora constituencies—an increasingly influential bloc in Kenya’s politics due to remittances, digital campaigning, and fundraising networks.
According to the Central Bank of Kenya, diaspora remittances remain one of the country’s largest sources of foreign exchange, giving overseas voters growing political leverage.
Gachagua told the delegation that DCP had made strides locally, pointing to what he described as recent by-election victories in Kakamega, Narok, and Nairobi City County as evidence of momentum. The party has sought to use these contests to project organisational strength following its registration and early mobilisation drive.
Independent verification of the specific outcomes varies by ward and seat, but analysts note that by-elections often serve as testing grounds for party machinery ahead of larger electoral cycles.
The planned opening of satellite offices abroad is intended to formalise that engagement. Party officials briefed Gachagua on logistical arrangements for visits to other continents next year, where the offices would coordinate membership drives, policy forums, and voter education among Kenyans overseas.
Kenya’s legal framework allows citizens in the diaspora to vote in presidential elections, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) gradually expanding registration centres abroad. While participation levels have historically been modest, parties increasingly view early engagement as critical to shaping turnout and influence.
Gachagua has framed DCP as a grassroots alternative focused on economic inclusion and political accountability, themes he reiterated during his U.S. engagements earlier this year. The diaspora strategy appears designed to reinforce that message beyond Kenya’s borders while building a funding and advocacy base that can be activated domestically.
As Kenya’s political landscape continues to evolve amid debates on governance, cost of living, and institutional reform, DCP’s global push signals an effort to broaden the arena of competition.
Whether the diaspora drive translates into sustained electoral gains at home will depend on how effectively the party converts overseas enthusiasm into organised support within Kenya’s tightly contested political space.
