Over 1.8 million join Gachagua’s DCP as party unveils first by-election candidates

DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala during a consultative meeting with county co-ordinators in Nairobi on July 17, 2025. (Photo: DCP)

By Lucy Mumbi
Thursday, July 17, 2025

The newly launched DCP presented two candidates, Aden Mohamed for Banisa Constituency and Edgar Busiega for Malava Constituency, during an event at its headquarters in Nairobi.

Over 1.8 million members have joined former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s party, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), in just two months.

On Thursday, the party unveiled its first batch of aspirants for the upcoming by-elections, signalling its determination to challenge President William Ruto’s ruling alliance and the Raila Odinga-led opposition.

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The newly launched DCP, now led by Gachagua following his impeachment eight months ago, presented two candidates, Aden Mohamed for Banisa Constituency and Edgar Busiega for Malava Constituency, during an event at its headquarters in Nairobi.

“These are young people. DCP is a party that believes in nurturing young leadership, and the party leader and the NEC have committed to setting aside resources to ensure that DCP wins more than 50 per cent of the available by-election seats,” DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala said.

The Banisa and Malava by-elections were triggered by the deaths of Banisa MP Kulow Maalim Hassan in March 2023 and Malava MP Moses Injendi earlier this year.

The unveiling comes as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), now fully constituted, prepares to conduct 22 long-delayed by-elections. These include six National Assembly seats, one Senate position and 15 Member of County Assembly (MCA) slots. The delays were attributed to the previous lack of quorum at the IEBC following the expiry of several commissioners’ terms.

“As DCP, we have decided that we are going to field candidates in all the by-elections in Kenya. We want to urge the IEBC commissioners to hasten the process of ensuring that we have the respective pending by-elections,” Malala said.

DCP also plans to field candidates in constituencies such as Kasipul, where MP Ongondo Were was killed by assailants in Nairobi, and Ugunja, which fell vacant after MP Opiyo Wandayi was appointed Energy Cabinet Secretary following the formation of a broad-based government.

Malala warned against pre-election misconduct and called on IEBC to strictly enforce the electoral code of conduct.

“We have people insinuating that they will steal elections come 2027. We will petition the IEBC to take action against those people. You cannot subvert the will of the people,” he said.

The party’s newly endorsed candidates expressed confidence and commitment to winning their respective seats.

“I subscribe to the ethos of the party. The party is built on the background of listening to people. I’m a villager by nature—I was raised in the village—and that is what I believe in. I promise my people of Malava that as I join this new party, I’ll hit the ground and seek their support,” Busiega, who will contest in Malava said.

Aden, who previously ran on an ODM ticket, said his supporters encouraged him to switch to DCP.

“After listening to the ground and the supporters who backed me in 2022 on an ODM ticket, they told me to go to DCP and run for this by-election on a DCP ticket. I want to assure DCP and all its members that Banisa Constituency will be the first constituency delivered by this new party called DCP,” he said.

According to Malala, DCP’s popularity has surged significantly.