NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has ignited a political storm after declaring that his party, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), should field candidates for virtually all elective seats in Nairobi County in the 2027 General Election — a claim that has drawn sharp criticism from rival politicians and denials from key opposition allies.
During a Thanksgiving service on November 30 at PCEA Kariobangi North in Nairobi, Gachagua said he had struck an agreement with Kalonzo Musyoka, leader of the Wiper Democratic Movement (Wiper), allowing DCP to contest — and win — all major offices in the capital.
Under the alleged deal, DCP would field candidates for governor, senator, woman representative, 16 of 17 parliamentary seats, and 75 of 85 ward seats.
Gachagua framed the recent Kariobangi North by-election win for DCP as “just the beginning” of what he described as a sweeping bid to wrest control of Nairobi from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which has historically held strong influence in the city.
Not everyone accepted Gachagua’s claims. For example, Nairobi gubernatorial hopeful Tony Gachoka — from the Kenya African National Union (KANU) — dismissed assertions that DCP “owns” Nairobi.
He told the media on Tuesday that KANU will field its own candidates across Nairobi and called Gachagua’s rhetoric “bogus claims of ownership.”
More significantly, Kalonzo Musyoka himself—whom Gachagua claimed had negotiated the deal—directly rejected the supposed agreement.
Addressing the claims at a ceremony in Machakos County, Kalonzo accused the former deputy president of spreading propaganda designed to sow discord within the united opposition.
“We are calling our colleagues to sit together. There’s nothing seriously wrong, and we will take a collective stand,” Musyoka said, denying that Wiper had ceded all Nairobi seats to DCP.
Some political analysts and observers have described Gachagua’s remarks as reckless and self-defeating. One High Court advocate called the push a sign of why Gachagua was removed from office, citing the “recklessness” of staking sweeping electoral claims without a broader consensus.
Coast-based analyst Kazungu Katana warned that the move could backfire, arguing it showed a lack of political tact and risked alienating potential allies.
“He’s steering himself toward political self-destruction,” Katana told local media.
Others within the opposition have expressed concern that such unilateral declarations undermine cohesion and trust among coalition members, potentially weakening united efforts ahead of the 2027 polls.
For now, DCP remains bullish. Gachagua insists that the party’s recent by-election wins — including Nairobi’s Kariobangi North — mark the start of a broader political wave that will sweep the capital.
But the lack of consensus from Wiper and public criticism by other parties like KANU have cast serious doubt on the sustainability of Gachagua’s plan. As political players recalibrate, what remains clear is that Nairobi’s 2027 elective contests are shaping up to be fiercely contested — and far from the “walkover” some had claimed.
With less than two years to the General Election, the political chessboard is shifting rapidly. Whether Gachagua will manage to turn bold declarations into electoral success — or see his ambitions fracture under pressure — remains to be seen.
