Chaos hit Gachagua’s DCP party as Meru members reject changes

By Newsflash Writer

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, is facing turmoil after chaos erupted at the party’s Meru office on Saturday. Members and aspirants expressed outrage over what they described as “overnight changes” to county leadership, accusing national officials of betrayal and lack of transparency.

The row was triggered by the removal of Timothy Kithinji as the Meru County chairperson and his replacement with James Mithika. Furious members claimed the move was orchestrated by senior officials without consultation, undermining the party’s credibility just months after its official launch.

Some aspirants went as far as threatening to leave the party, warning that they would mobilize residents to boycott political activities led by Gachagua in Meru.

Members cry foul over integrity

Several aspirants accused the leadership of lacking integrity and acting in bad faith. They argued that replacing officials without dialogue was proof that corruption and favoritism were already taking root in the party.

“I have seen that this party has no transparency and has started with corruption early. If they can change the chairman overnight, they can also deny us tickets,” said Benjamin Kimathi, a DCP aspirant.

Another aspirant, Jimry Murithi, accused party leaders of taking members for granted despite their sacrifices. “We will tell our people not to pay party fees because we believed we were investing where our youth leader was. Now we can even tell the youth to stop, because we are the ones who went to the ground, faced teargas during demonstrations for this party to save us,” he said.

The disgruntled members demanded assurance that youth representation and fairness would be safeguarded within the party structures.

Party leadership response

In response to the uproar, DCP Secretary General Hezron Obaga confirmed that the party would extend county elections by two weeks to allow for dialogue and consultation with delegates. He insisted that the party was still building its structures and that inclusivity, including gender balance, would guide future appointments.

“We will strengthen when we have a list of officials that is balanced in terms of gender,” Obaga told members, urging them to remain patient as the leadership works to resolve disputes.

Former county chairperson Timothy Kithinji, who was ousted in the changes, called for calm but admitted that frustrations among aspirants were valid. “We still have left a gap for consultation as most of our aspirants want youth representation in Meru,” he said.

The developments pose a significant test for Rigathi Gachagua as he attempts to consolidate support for DCP. With members openly threatening mass exits, analysts warn that unresolved disputes could weaken the young party’s ability to compete nationally.