A storm is brewing around the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) following revelations that the party may be at the center of a well-orchestrated money-minting scheme designed to finance hotel renovations linked to Rigathi Gachagua.
According to insiders, the party has imposed steep registration fees on political aspirants more than two years ahead of the 2027 General Election — a move many describe as suspicious and unprecedented. Aspirants seeking to run for governor are being asked to pay Kshs 50,000 (Kshs 25,000 for youth and PWDs), while MPs, senators, and women reps are expected to part with Kshs 10,000. MCA hopefuls are charged Kshs 5,000.
“These fees are not about early organization or grassroots planning,” said one party insider who requested anonymity. “It’s about raising another Kshs 250 million to complete stalled renovations at Outspan Hotel in Nyeri — a project Gachagua started while still in office, allegedly using public funds.”
Close allies claim Gachagua is exploiting the DCP platform to discreetly raise money after his impeachment disrupted access to state resources. He is said to have previously mobilized Kshs 250 million under the guise of launching the party — a launch that never happened.
“That money quietly went into construction. No one can account for it politically,” a second source stated.
This new fundraising drive, critics say, reeks of personal enrichment disguised as political mobilization. “He’s not building a party. He’s rebuilding his hotel,” the source added.
With whispers of a growing internal rebellion and mounting public skepticism, pressure is building for oversight bodies to probe DCP’s finances and stop what many now view as a calculated abuse of political ambition for personal gain.
