The mask has slipped. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s fledgling Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) is under fire after revelations that parliamentary aspirants were forced to pay hefty sums — only to be abandoned in the cold when the party abruptly pulled out of looming by-elections.
More than nine hopefuls in Malava and Mbeere North are counting their losses. Each was allegedly required to part with Ksh1 million for “endorsement” and the DCP certificate. On top of that came membership fees, nomination charges, and the cost of rallies, merchandise, and billboards emblazoned with DCP colors.
Among them was Mbeere North MCA Dancun Mbui, who was pressured to resign his ward seat in order to vie under the DCP ticket. He launched his campaign with fanfare, complete with local allies like Mukunji rallying behind him. Then, without warning, Gachagua announced via social media that DCP would not contest the by-elections after all.
The betrayal has left aspirants fuming. “We only learned from TV and radio that the party was withdrawing. No meeting, no apology, no refund — nothing,” one devastated aspirant said.
The fallout is ugly: candidates are left politically exposed, financially drained, and humiliated before their supporters. Critics now accuse Gachagua of running a cash-grab scheme disguised as party building.
For a man who once sold DCP as the “vehicle to State House,” the spectacle reeks of opportunism. Instead of empowering loyalists, he has fleeced them. In the words of one commentator, “Truly, modern-day cons are cold and ruthless.”
The question now: was DCP ever about power — or just profit?
