Rigathi Gachagua faces regional opposition and party defections

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is facing political pushback and shifting party allegiances as the 2027 General Election approaches. In Nyanza, a group of Members of Parliament, led by Caucus Chairman James Nyikal, has challenged Gachagua’s attempts to build influence in the region. The legislators argued that Gachagua’s current political outreach contradicts his previous rhetoric, which they claim portrayed Nyanza leadership as hostile to the government.

Simultaneously, Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) is gaining momentum at the expense of former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party. Several elected leaders have defected from Jubilee to DCP, including Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan, Mark Mwenje, and Amos Mwago in Nairobi, as well as EALA MP Kanini Kega in the Mt. Kenya region. These shifts suggest DCP is expanding its influence beyond its traditional bases, potentially weakening Jubilee’s political bargaining power ahead of the next election.