Storm brewing in DCP over Rigathi Gachagua’s power-sharing proposal

A fresh storm is brewing within the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) after its leader, Rigathi Gachagua, proposed that governor candidates sign binding agreements to allocate half of county government appointments to the party if elected.

The proposal, unveiled during a meeting at Gachagua’s Wamunyoro home in Nyeri with Maa community leaders, seeks to guarantee party loyalists and unsuccessful aspirants a share of government in counties won by the DCP.

“Governors elected on the DCP ticket will have a signed agreement. They will retain half the county slots, while the other half will be surrendered to the party,” Gachagua said.

“That way, those aspirants who may not win but are competent and loyal will have a place to go.”

The idea has sparked immediate pushback from some DCP aspirants, who fear it will rob them of their authority if they win, reduce incentives to campaign aggressively, and fuel infighting over job distribution.

“You can’t fight through a tough nomination, campaign across an entire county, win, and then be forced to cede half of your government - possibly to people who supported your rival,” said one gubernatorial aspirant from a cosmopolitan county as reported by the Star. “The proposal is dead on arrival.”

Despite the resistance, Gachagua insists the move is essential to keeping the party together, especially after primaries, which have historically triggered infighting, defections, and weakened general election performance.

“This is the only way to avoid fallout. We’ve seen too many parties lose strong candidates and seats because of internal wrangles after nominations,” he said.

While some party insiders see the plan as a power grab by the leadership, others view it as a necessary compromise to manage party unity in the aftermath of bruising primaries.

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, who is close to Gachagua, attempted to calm the storm by framing the idea as a conversation starter, not a final decision.

“It’s just a suggestion. We’ve not deliberated on it in detail,” Muriu said. “I hope it will be properly discussed by party stakeholders to build consensus.”

If implemented, the arrangement would fundamentally alter the power dynamics of county leadership under the DCP. It shifts the role of a governor from a fully empowered executive to a co-manager of political interests negotiated before the polls.

The suggestion also challenges long-held political norms, where governors often demand full control of appointments in return for their personal investments in high-stakes campaigns.

Gachagua, however, sees it differently. He believes the party must look beyond individuals and elections to build sustainable political structures.

During the Wamunyoro meeting, Gachagua was confident DCP would secure multiple governorships in 2027, including in Nairobi. He reassured supporters that the party would manage nominations and appointments with fairness.

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Among those in attendance were Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku, Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo, Daniel Kanchori (Kajiado County), Joshua Olowuasa (Kajiado East), Martin Olekamwaro (Narok North), Moses Birisha (Kajiado Central), James Lesere (Dalalekutuk Ward), Peter Tirishe (Mosiro Ward), Abraham Osoi (Matapato Ward), Ole Esho (Narok Elder), and Benson Saayo (Narok Elder), among others.

As the party continues to build momentum ahead of 2027, the debate over whether governors should surrender half their powers in exchange for political stability will test DCP’s internal democracy and cohesion.