The parties Gachagua’s DCP has to face in Mt Kenya

By Newsflash Reporter

The once cohesive Mt Kenya voting bloc, renowned for delivering a unified front in presidential elections, is rapidly splintering ahead of the 2027 General Election.

A surge in region-based political parties—among them, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee, Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party (PLP), Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party (TSP), Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi (CCK), and Peter Munya’s Party of National Unity (PNU)—signals an intensifying scramble for political control in the vote-rich region.

This fragmentation is not accidental. Dozens of political parties have either resurfaced or been newly registered, with sights firmly set on the 2027 polls. Political analysts cite a combination of disillusionment, generational transition, and shifting ideological leanings as key drivers of the disunity.

Strategists allied to President William Ruto are said to be encouraging fragmentation by quietly supporting multiple presidential hopefuls from the region. In addition to the aforementioned parties, others like Mwangi wa Iria’s Usawa Kwa Wote, William Kabogo-linked Tujibebe Wakenya, Lee Kinyanjui’s Ubuntu People’s Forum, Jimi Wanjigi-associated Safina Party, and the Farmers Party are jostling for space. Even lesser-known outfits such as the Future Party of Kenya, Mwangaza Party, The New Democrats, and the National Democratic Movement (NDM) have entered the fray.

UDA’s influence

Despite the political noise, Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) still wields considerable sway in the region. However, Gachagua’s fallout with the president has fueled accusations of betrayal. Many local leaders feel they were instrumental in delivering Ruto’s 2022 win but have since been sidelined. Gachagua’s newly formed DCP is being touted as the vehicle to reclaim the region’s political agency and assert its place in national decision-making.

“We are done with UDA,” Gachagua declared recently. “We won’t attend another wedding in someone else’s car. This time, we’ll drive our own.”

Even so, Gachagua’s efforts face stiff competition from rivals who are equally determined to entrench themselves in the region. Parties like PLP, Jubilee, PNU, and TSP are deepening grassroots engagement in key counties such as Nyeri, Kiambu, Murang’a, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, and Laikipia.

Despite its diminished strength, Jubilee still commands loyalty in some quarters and is attempting a revival based on nostalgia and anti-Ruto sentiment. Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has declared support for former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, distancing Jubilee from Gachagua. “Matiang’i has shown interest. Gachagua isn’t the only option,” Kioni said.

Meanwhile, Mwangi Kiunjuri, also Laikipia East MP, dismissed Gachagua’s push for regional unity under DCP as a ploy to suppress existing parties. “The more parties we have, the better. Elections are about individuals who deliver, not party labels,” he said. Kiunjuri believes Gachagua’s appeal has less to do with empowerment and more with personal ambition.

Martha Karua has repurposed her PLP into a resistance platform opposing what she describes as “State capture and constitutional erosion.” Former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri, a past Gachagua ally turned critic, recently acquired the Future Party of Kenya and accused Gachagua of divisive politics. “He is picking fights across the board. That strategy will collapse,” Ngunjiri said during a party retreat in Eldoret.

This flurry of party formations raises concerns that Mt Kenya’s bargaining power on the national stage could be severely diluted. Long seen as a political powerhouse—having produced three of Kenya’s presidents—the region now faces a stark reality: going into 2027 fragmented and weakened.

Danger facing Mt Kenya

Analysts warn that without unity or a consensus candidate, Mt Kenya risks being a mere spectator in the national power game. Political commentator Martin Oloo suggests that the evolving political scene, especially following the warming ties between Ruto’s UDA and Raila Odinga’s ODM, signals the need for a new, broad-based opposition coalition.

“Without a unified front, Ruto and Raila will outmaneuver the opposition by propping up weak presidential candidates to split the vote,” said Oloo. He argued that leaders like Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, and others must come together behind a single candidate—perhaps not the most popular, but one who can unify and anchor a broader movement.

Kiunjuri echoed the need for caution, warning that Mt Kenya could face dire consequences if it miscalculates politically. “If we play games with 2027, we’ll regret it while others sing songs with no direction,” he cautioned.

Beyond political ideology, the party proliferation is also driven by economic incentives. Some individuals are registering political parties not to run for office, but to sell them ahead of 2027. The booming trade in party ownership is fueled by fear of rigged primaries and internal wrangles. Leaders who have been locked out of their parties in the past are now keen to secure their own platforms to preserve their ambitions and boost their coalition bargaining power.

As Mt Kenya braces for an intense political contest, the next two years promise a volatile mix of shifting alliances, ideological battles, and high-stakes calculations—all aimed at capturing the region’s ever-crucial vote.