The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) is set to step up its political activities in Nairobi, with designated Secretary-General John Methu scheduled to lead a party engagement with traders and members of the business community in the Central Business District on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Methu will be accompanied by DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala and several Members of Parliament aligned with the party. The delegation will include Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje and Starehe MP Amos Mwago, who is expected to host the team.
Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan is also expected to participate in the engagement after recently joining DCP following his departure from the Jubilee Party.
The planned rally comes at a time when traders in parts of Nairobi CBD have been raising concerns over increased operating costs and taxation. Recent demonstrations by traders resulted in arrests and the use of tear gas by police as business people protested what they described as higher taxes on imported goods at the port.
Traders have claimed that the amount required to clear a container has risen from approximately Ksh2.5 million to about Ksh4.2 million following the implementation of the 2026 Finance Bill. The concerns have continued to generate tension among traders, who have called for measures to ease the financial burden on businesses.
The DCP engagement with the business community is therefore likely to provide the party with an opportunity to present itself as a political voice for traders while listening to concerns over taxation and the wider business environment.
Gachagua’s US Tour
The Nairobi rally comes shortly after DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua left Kenya for an extended tour of the United States, leaving senior party officials to oversee its political activities during his absence.
Gachagua’s deputy, Cleophas Malala, and Secretary-General designate John Methu have been at the centre of the party’s activities since his departure, with the two expected to maintain DCP’s political momentum as the party continues preparing for the 2027 General Election.
Methu has in particular maintained a visible presence, conducting party engagements and meet-the-people tours in Laikipia and other parts of the country as DCP seeks to strengthen its grassroots networks.
He has also been involved in plans to formally welcome Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan into the party through a series of engagements across Nairobi County, beginning in his constituency before extending to other parts of the capital.
DCP Targets Nairobi
The party’s increasing activity in Nairobi reflects its efforts to establish a stronger political foothold in a county that has traditionally been an important base for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
By engaging directly with traders, business owners, elected leaders and grassroots supporters, DCP is seeking to broaden its support beyond its existing political networks and establish itself as a significant force ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The CBD engagement could therefore serve as another test of Methu’s ability to coordinate the party’s activities while Gachagua remains outside the country.
With political realignments expected to accelerate as the 2027 polls approach, DCP’s growing presence in Nairobi could become an important component of its wider strategy to expand its national reach.
