Ex-DP Gachagua to unveil party setting stage for battle with Ruto

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is set to unveil his 2027 political vehicle today, setting the stage for an epic battle with President William Ruto.

Gachagua’s ally and Gatanga MP Edward Muriu confirmed to the Star that the new party will be unveiled on Thursday in Nairobi.

“Yes, we are launching the party tomorrow (Thursday) and invite has been extended to all media houses,” the lawmaker told the Star on phone.

The office, the Star has established, is located along Muthangari Drive, Nairobi.

Sources closes to Gachagua confirmed the ex-DP settled on the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) as his political platform, marking a decisive turn in his rivalry with Ruto ahead of the 2027 general election.

He resigned from the ruling UDA on May 12, 2025.

Gachagua’s entry into the opposition fold is already reshaping Kenya’s political terrain.

He is in active talks with key opposition leaders including Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Martha Karua (PLP), Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-Kenya), and former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, aiming to forge a broad coalition to challenge Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance.

Reports also indicate that former President Uhuru Kenyatta will be represented at the launch by Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni though official statement hasn’t been issued.

The DCP, officially registered on February 3, 2025, adopts green, brown and black as its colours.

Its logo — a hand touching an ear — symbolises the party’s commitment to “listening to the ground,” while its slogan, Kazi na Haki (Work and Justice), underscores its focus on grassroots empowerment and fairness.

In a recent media interview with Egesa FM, Gachagua emphasised the party’s national outlook noting that it will accommodate all Kenyans with its roots from the Mt Kenya region.

“I am launching a national party this week with its roots from Mt Kenya,” he said.

He criticised the current administration for failing to honour its campaign promises and warned against attempts by the Kenya Kwanza government to fragment Mt Kenya’s vote by fielding multiple presidential candidates and parties in the region.

“I know Ruto will be launching smaller parties in the Mt Kenya region through his friends. He will even try to field presidential candidates in the mountain, but we will not accept. People know their party, and they will know their candidate in due time,” Gachagua said.

Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku Ole Kanar, a close ally, on Tuesday, welcomed the formation of DCP.

“We said we must look for a political vehicle and have agreed that it is the one by Wamunyoro. I invite all to join us in Nairobi for the unveiling. The chairman of this party will be from Kajiado county.”

Political analysts argue that Gachagua will be seeking a political comeback using his own party.

Isaiah Gichu, National chairman of the Party of Democratic Unity (PDU), welcomed the new party but cautioned about possible vote fragmentation in Mt Kenya.

“While we recognise the right of every Kenyan to organise politically, we advise that Gachagua’s team focuses more on national unity than regional mobilisation. Kenyans are yearning for inclusive solutions, not just political noise,” Gichu said.

He argued that the formation of DCP will have nothing different in the region noting that Gachagua will only join the long list of politicians with their own political formation.

“Gachagua’s move is a direct challenge to President Ruto’s hold on Mt Kenya and a calculated attempt to consolidate the region’s vote. If he succeeds in building a credible coalition, he could become a kingmaker-or even a contender-in the next presidential race.”

The New Democrats Party leader Thuo Mathenge and critic to Gachagua argues that what the ex-DP is seeking is just political relevance.

“Rigathi Gachagua is not launching a party—he is launching a personal survival project. Kenyans are tired of recycled politics dressed in populist slogans,” Mathenge told the Star.

He added that the Mt Kenya region will not afford to coat Gachagua with his own party blindly, noting that they will have a choice of selection noting that the region doesn’t have a short of political parties.

“The so-called Democracy for Citizens Party is nothing more than a briefcase outfit built on bitterness and blame. Gachagua had power at the highest level and failed to deliver. What can he now offer with a logo and a slogan?” Mathenge posed.

He further accused Gachagua of abandoning his responsibilities as Deputy President and engaging in divisive politics that undermine national cohesion.

“He is trying to revive tribal kingpin politics that Kenyans rejected in 2022. We in The New Democrats believe in issue-based leadership, not bitterness-based activism,” he added.