Last Friday afternoon, Chaos erupted at the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) headquarters in Lavington, Nairobi, after Malava parliamentary aspirant Edgar Busiega stormed the offices demanding a refund of Kshs. 12 million he claims to have spent securing and popularizing the party’s ticket.
Busiega, a Nairobi-based lawyer, alleged that he paid Kshs. 5 million directly to the party for the certificate, used Kshs. 5 million more on grassroots campaigns, door-to-door mobilization, and branding, and advanced Kshs. 2 million to Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala for whistle-stop tours.
“I have invested heavily in this seat and in making DCP known in Malava. If the party no longer wants me, then I must be refunded my money. I am not here to beg,” Busiega told journalists outside the offices.
To prove his seriousness, Busiega clamped and began towing vehicles belonging to Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua and Malala — a Range Rover and a Toyota TX respectively — sparking chaos at the leafy Lavington headquarters. The standoff only ended after the two leaders hurriedly handed him back his nomination certificate and issued a statement declaring that Malava was not among the seats canceled.
In a later statement to newsrooms, DCP Secretary General Hezron Obaga dismissed reports of Busiega’s withdrawal as “false and misleading.”
“Edgar Busiega remains firmly in the race, and we are confident of victory come November 27, 2025,” Obaga said, urging Malava residents to ignore the claims and remain focused on the campaign.
Party insiders, however, say the incident has lifted the lid on a wider “cash-for-tickets” scheme within DCP.
“They have been doing business with aspirants, but this time they met their match in a no-nonsense lawyer,” said one official who sought anonymity.
The Malava by-election, triggered by the death of MP Moses Malulu Injendi, is already drawing high stakes, with UDA keen to retain the seat and clan dynamics at play.
Analysts now warn the scandal could severely dent DCP’s image as it positions for 2027.
