Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has organized a meeting today to engage Gen Z leaders from the Mt Kenya region. The event, according to the party’s official communication, is intended to create a platform for young people to share ideas on how they can help market the party and strengthen its grassroots appeal ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, controversy has erupted over the funding of the meeting. Gachagua has reportedly summoned political aspirants and demanded that they contribute money to “facilitate” the Gen Z attendees. According to a memo sent from DCP headquarters, gubernatorial aspirants are expected to pay Ksh 100,000, MPs and senators Ksh 50,000, and MCAs Ksh 10,000. The money, according to the party, will cater for facilitation and transport allowances for the 300 Gen Z participants expected at the meeting.
The internal breakdown shared with aspirants indicates that participants from Nairobi and Kiambu will receive Ksh 2,000 each, those from Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, and Embu Ksh 5,000, while attendees from Nyandarua, Laikipia, and Meru will be given Ksh 10,000.
However, insiders within the party allege that the funds may not actually reach the intended beneficiaries. They claim that this is part of a wider scheme by Gachagua to raise money to cover the party’s ongoing financial struggles. DCP has reportedly been facing serious cash flow problems, including unpaid staff salaries, rent arrears for its headquarters, and outstanding electricity bills. Sources estimate that the meeting could raise as much as Ksh 10 million—money that could quietly go toward keeping the party afloat.
Several aspirants have expressed growing frustration, accusing Gachagua of turning DCP into a personal briefcase party. “Every time he calls a meeting, we are told to contribute something, yet there’s no accountability or visible progress,” one aspirant lamented. Another questioned why aspirants were being asked to fund what should be a party-sponsored youth engagement event.
Adding to the controversy, aspirants were instructed to bring the money in cash rather than through bank transfers. One official close to the planning committee reportedly said that Gachagua prefers handling cash “to avoid leaving a paper trail.” This directive has further raised questions about transparency and internal governance within the DCP.
Critics argue that the move exposes the party’s deep financial desperation and Gachagua’s increasingly transactional approach to politics—where loyalty, participation, and even introductions come at a price.
