MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has launched a sharp public rebuke of Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, escalating tensions within the Mt Kenya political bloc and laying bare the deepening rifts ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a strongly worded statement on X, the Githunguri MP accused Gachagua of attempting to intimidate her into joining DCP, a party he has been aggressively marketing as a political home for leaders from the Mt Kenya region.
“When he was DP he did the same to intimidate me when I voted NO for the Finance Bill 2023. God deflated him painfully,” she said, framing his political decline as a consequence of intolerance toward dissent.
At the heart of her criticism is the legitimacy of DCP itself.
Wamuchomba questioned Gachagua’s authority within the party, arguing that despite his public posture as its chief mobiliser, official records at the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) do not list him as an official or party leader.
“He ‘started’ a party which he claims is a ‘Mlima’ party and all of us must join. Yet from ORPP records, he’s not even an official,” she said, challenging the narrative that DCP is the undisputed political vehicle for the region.
Wamuchomba singled out Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, Senator Karungo Thang’wa and Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata ally, accusing them of demeaning leaders who have declined to jump ship. In particular, she questioned the credibility of Senator Karungo, noting that he remains an elected UDA senator while publicly championing another party.
“If this party is really strong, why can’t Methu, Karungo and Nyutu resign first, then we elect them through their new ‘masikio’ party?” she posed, daring DCP leaders to test their popularity at the ballot.
Wamuchomba was unequivocal about her own political future, declaring that she will not join DCP and will remain in President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) until 2027.
But Wamuchomba's about turn has come barely months after she publicly rejoined Gachagua's camp.
In June 2025, she appeared alongside the former Deputy President at the DCP headquarters in Nairobi, signalling renewed cooperation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Following the meeting, she joined him on a tour of Kiambu County, including stops in Banana and Githunguri, where she rallied supporters and appeared to solidify her alignment with Gachagua’s political orbit.
At the time, she even encouraged constituents to vote against President William Ruto, marking a dramatic return to his fold.
Her reunion had been preceded by months of mixed signals.
Earlier in 2025, she had publicly questioned Gachagua’s leadership style, urging him to be more inclusive and broaden his appeal beyond Mt. Kenya.
She had also met with prominent figures outside his camp, including former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, fuelling speculation that she might be distancing herself.
Her re-engagement with Gachagua, at the time, appeared to put those doubts to rest, presenting a narrative of reconciliation and political unity in the region.
Her latest move, however, now adds a spin to the already potent Mt Kenya politics ahead of the eagerly anticipated 2027 elections.
