There is growing panic among Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) aspirants, with many joking that they may soon need to apply for bank loans before even thinking about seeking a party ticket.
The chatter intensified after DCP’s impressive victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, with many grassroots hopefuls now wondering whether the party’s rising popularity will also send the “market price” of its tickets through the roof.
The biggest worry? That the poor aspirants who spent months walking from village to village selling the DCP brand could soon find themselves watching from the sidelines as wealthy political heavyweights arrive with briefcases full of cash.
In political circles, the figures doing the rounds are enough to give any aspiring politician sleepless nights. The joke is that anyone eyeing an MCA seat should first locate KSh5 million. Those dreaming of becoming MPs, Senators or Women Representatives should somehow find KSh10 million, while gubernatorial hopefuls had better start talking to their bankers about KSh50 million.
Some aspirants are even laughing that before collecting nomination papers, candidates might first be asked, “Are you carrying your manifesto… or your cheque book?”
Others joke that the new campaign slogan could become, “No money, no ticket.”
The discussions have sparked nervous laughter among early DCP supporters, many of whom say they invested sweat, shoe leather and endless cups of tea convincing voters to embrace the party when few believed it had a future.
Now, they fear the same party could become a playground for deep-pocketed newcomers who conveniently discovered DCP after it started winning elections.
Whether the rumors ever become reality remains to be seen. But among grassroots aspirants, one thing is already clear: they hope the party rewards loyalty before wealth.
Otherwise, they joke, the next requirement after party membership might just be attaching a bank statement to the nomination application.
