Why Gachagua party is Ruto's new headache in Mt Kenya region

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during the unveiling of of his new party, Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) in Nairobi on May 15th 2025. (Collins oduor, Standard)

The unveiling of Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) has catapulted its founder, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua into high table of the political party leaders exclusive club and is likely cause realignment as well as ripples.

Although Gachagua has been a harsh critic of President William Ruto's administration, he only resigned from the ruling UDA party three days before unveiling the party, in a move that may see him increase his anti Ruto remarks as he continues to play the opposition politics.

While he announced that his party was a national one, political experts opine that based on the tribal nature of the country's politics, Gachagua's main initiative is to wrestle UDA out of Mt Kenya region, a move that will intensify hostilities between him and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

According to political analyst, Kamau Wairuri, Gachagua's party reinforced the idea of the regional parties which was a disadvantage to President Ruto who depended on Mt Kenya and Rift Valley to ascend to presidency.

"With the trust deficit affecting the Kenya Kwanza administration, we may find the more than 3.5 million votes spread across the major political parties in the region from DP, PNU and now Gachagua's party.

"This leaves Kindiki an exposed man because being the UDA's deputy party leader, he may not form his political vehicle to form a coalition with the President which may leave Ruto with no option but looking for a running mate form another region or from a party within Mt Kenya that will assure him his re-election," Dr Wairuri noted.

Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina said there was a likelihood of State infiltration in the regional affairs of the party in bid to divide and conquer.

"They have already started sponsoring many political parties to confuse our people so that we lose focus, but we are alert," she added.

Multimedia University lecturer, Gitile Naituli, said the formation of Gachagua's party will throw the country back into regional and tribal political grouping in 2027 where the regional leaders under the guise of political party leaders will vie for presidency with a view of forcing a re-run so as to form post-coalition agreements.

"Since the advent of multi-party democracy, tribal politics has dominated the Kenyan space with politicians from 'big tribes' coming together to win elections; the only time this did not happen was in 1963, 2002. "In the 2007 people voted along the tribal lines and in the 2013 and 2017 elections, Uhuru and Ruto formed an alliance that brought together their Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities.

''Gachagua's impeachment will again force tribal leaders to rally their people so that they can go to the bargaining table based on their numbers," said Prof Naituli.

According to Naituli, the President's decision to oust Gachagua had led to a trust deficit amongst politicians, a move that will see paradigm shift from pre-election deals to the post-election deals.

"I foresee a scenario where the opposition leaders will end up on the ballot so that in the case of a re-run, they will form a post coalition election deal where the leaders will respect each other based on their votes," Naituli said.

He stated that the move may make Kenya a stable country as the communities will be represented in government and that the strategy may also bring to an end political treachery.

Antony Chege, a Maragua based politician said Gachagua's party was coming to Mt Kenya as a party among equals as there were other existing parties in the region and that it was former deputy president's way of sending him to the bargaining table.

"Whether it will make an impact it shall depends on how he shall relate with the leaders and the candidates.

''He launched DCP a little early and this makes it vulnerable for infiltration," Chege noted.

He, however, said Gachagua had a task ahead to appeal to other regions to join his party to shed a narrative that he was a tribal bigot.

The former Deputy President's relationship with his Opposition colleagues will also be impacted as he will now see himself as a Co-Principal eligible for Presidency.

Sources have hinted that the Opposition is unsettled over Gachagua's party and the court of appeal ruling that directed that Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu had no powers to constitute a bench that set aside Gachagua's orders that had barred Kindiki from being sworn in.

"There are fears that if Gachagua solidifies his region and gets over 60 MPs and 12 governors, even if he will not be President, he may be the de facto President who will hold the government ransom, "a source said.

The other conundrum by a section of the Opposition is that Gachagua may use the court ruling to demand to be supported for Presidency due to the numbers from his Mt Kenya region.