Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has fired back at Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba following her claims that she is being forced to join the party.
Speaking during an interview with a popular television station on Monday, January 12, 2026, the former Deputy President dismissed the allegations, insisting that neither he nor his party has coerced Wamuchomba to join DCP.
Gachagua argued that if Wamuchomba is facing pressure to associate with the party, it is coming from her constituents rather than from him or DCP officials.
“Forced by whom? It is the constituency,” Gachagua said. “If they are telling her she is not DCP, she is gone. What can I do about it?”
He maintained that his role has been limited to promoting and popularising DCP across the Mt Kenya region, not compelling leaders to defect. According to Gachagua, voters in the region are increasingly aligning themselves with DCP and are urging their leaders to follow suit if they hope to retain their seats in the 2027 general election.
“I am not asking her to join. I am saying, if you want to be elected, come to DCP,” he said. “If you are not in DCP, you won’t be elected.”
Gachagua further claimed that political realities in the Mt Kenya region are shifting rapidly and that it will be difficult for any candidate to win an elective seat in 2027 without being affiliated with DCP.
“So, who is coercing her? Who is intimidating her?” he posed.
The exchange underscores growing political tensions in the region as leaders realign ahead of the 2027 elections, with DCP positioning itself as a dominant political force in Mt Kenya and internal disagreements among former allies increasingly playing out in public.
