Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has reshaped the discussion around the weekend’s by-elections, urging supporters to focus on the Democratic Congress Party’s (DCP) gains rather than the outcome in Mbeere North.
Speaking on Sunday, Gachagua said the party concentrated on wards where it had fielded candidates and recorded what he described as a promising performance for a new political outfit.
Gachagua clarified that DCP did not participate in the Mbeere North contest, making the result irrelevant to the party’s overall assessment. He stated that the party had fielded candidates in Kariobangi North, Narok Town and Kisa East, where they emerged victorious.
While acknowledging defeats in Purko and Magarini, he maintained that winning three out of five seats demonstrated early strength for a political formation barely seven months old.
He further claimed that the candidate he assisted in Mbeere North under a different party had secured a win but was “denied” the outcome.
Gachagua did not provide details regarding the alleged irregularity, but his remarks added to the growing political debate surrounding by-election management and the disputes that occasionally follow local contests.
Such disputes have shaped past electoral cycles in Kenya, especially at ward level, where margins are often narrow.
Beyond the by-elections, Gachagua described Nairobi as the party’s next major political battlefield. He said the Kariobangi North victory offered DCP a strong entry point into the capital’s politics, where control of county seats has historically influenced national alliances.
According to Gachagua, the party now intends to invest in building a firm base across Nairobi’s diverse constituencies.
Gachagua also revealed that DCP had reached what he termed an agreement with the Wiper Party regarding cooperation in Nairobi.
As per his account, the understanding would see DCP field candidates for governor, senate and woman representative positions.
The arrangement, he said, reflects a broader strategy to consolidate influence in urban counties.