Internal wrangles threaten to bring down Gachagua's house

DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua and new NEC members at the party Headquarters in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) is facing an internal turmoil following the leadership changes effected by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua five days ago.

The move by the National Executive Council (NEC) to appoint Nyandarua Senator John Methu as the party’s secretary general and designating Hezron Obaga as the party’s executive director has upset key party officials, including Gachagua’s deputy Cleophas Malala.

Obaga is a founder member of the party who has held the secretary general position since May 15 last year.

Obaga was named the party’s executive director while Methu was named the designated Secretary General who will be the official spokesperson of the party.

According to Gachagua, Methu will be tasked with leading the party’s campaigns, including spearheading DCP’s agenda ahead of the OlKalou by-elections, which have been slated for July 16. 

“The media must know who to contact. Senator John Methu is a DCP party member, and he will start acting as the secretary general designate and the spokesperson of DCP on all matters from today,” Gachagua announced.

“In the fullness of time, his name will be forwarded to the Registrar of Political Parties so that he is registered as the duly appointed Secretary General of DCP.

However, according to Malala, the timing of the appointment, when there was a national discourse and a narrative by President William Ruto’s allies against the Agikuyu community was ill-advised, even as he maintains that the senator was sponsored to the Senate by the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

In an interview with The Sunday Standard, Malala disclosed that there were some quarters within the DCP party who felt that Methu had been brought onboard to contain him due to his views regarding his appointment.

“I was fully involved and consulted in Methu’s appointment and I did not have any objection. My only issue was about the timing of his announcement and the fact that Methu is still a UDA senator. But because the party leader deemed it fit to announce him, I left the matter at that. But some leaders have taken advantage of the whole situation,” Malala said.

“We are in the middle of a storm and we need to steady our ship or else the ship will capsize and lose our destination. It is upon the captain to steady the ship so that we remain focused on our agenda of sending this administration home in next year’s polls.”

The former Kakamega senator said the party had a galaxy of talents that should be utilized for its growth and called on the leaders to remain focused on the main agenda as opposed to petty infighting.

“Let us not focus on who is smiling more than the other. We are not in a beauty pageant. We should also shun sycophancy and tell each other the truth, which is the mantra of our party leader,” Malala said.

On the issue of Methu’s appointment, Malala maintained that while he was a good politician, a virtue required to the holder of a political party, Obaga was a good administrator who will administrate the party affairs in a skillful manner but maintained that he (Obaga) remained the party’s secretary general due to what he termed as ‘legal technicalities.

“While I agree on the NEC resolutions on May 25, I take note that legally, Methu is not the official spokesperson of the party. The official correspondence between the party and other institutions such as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will be directed to Obaga and not Methu. He can’t purport to speak on behalf of the party,” he said.

Malala also took issue with Methu’s inaugural press briefing at the party headquarters where he was flanked by a section of MPs from Mt Kenya who are allied to Gachagua, saying DCP was a national party with elected Member of County Assemblies and party officials outside the region but some leaders had perpetuated that the party belongs to one region.

“You can’t be in a conflict and pretend things are okay. DCP is a national outfit. We have won various seats such as Kisa East, Kariobangi and in Narok even without the party leader stepping there. There is a good will by Kenyans across the country to join the party but when they see a certain trend, they will keep off,” he said, adding:

“We all know that UDA has a footing in Rift Valley, ODM has a footing in Luo Nyanza but the party officials have a national representation”

Other DCP leaders contacted by The Sunday Standard said they were not aware of the internal wrangles.

“I am not aware of the cracks. The party is going on smoothly and there are no squabbles,” Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia said.

The one-year-old party faces cracks at a time it pegs on the Ol kalou by election slated on July 16 to have at least a representative in the National Assembly while proving its dominance in Mt Kenya region against Ruto’s UDA, which was the region’s party of choice.

In what is promising to be a do-or-die contest between the two parties, Paul Waiganjo, who emerged second in DCP primaries held on May 9, has joined UDA to campaign for Samuel Muchina who is facing DCP’s Kamau Ngotho.

Waiganjo has cited irregularities in the party nominations, and a pre-determined candidate as the reasons for ditching the party.