Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) has hit a wall—and it’s not made of brick, but of politics. The impeached former Deputy President was all set to launch his new political outfit on June 4 at Nairobi’s Kasarani Indoor Arena.
But at the last minute, Sports Kenya revoked the venue booking, citing upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) preparations. The DCP says this isn’t about football.
It’s about fear. In their view, the Ruto-led government is scared of Gachagua’s political rise, and they’re using state institutions to block him.
DCP launch blocked despite prior approval and full payment
The controversy began with a simple letter. On May 20, DCP leadership formally requested to book the Kasarani Gymnasium for their much-anticipated party launch. Just a day later, on May 21, Sports Kenya approved the request. The party promptly paid Ksh3.7 million, and an invoice was issued confirming the payment. Plans were set. Supporters were mobilized. Publicity was underway.
But on May 26, just nine days before the scheduled event, everything changed. In a letter from Sports Kenya Director-General Gabriel Komora, DCP was informed that the venue was no longer available. The reason? Prior bookings and ongoing preparations for CHAN 2025, a continental football event set to happen months later.
“We regret to inform you that the venue will not be available,” the letter stated, adding that all further bookings were suspended. DCP was told to “consider looking for an alternative venue.”
For the party, this abrupt reversal wasn’t just poor planning—it was sabotage.
“The Kasarani Gymnasium is a public facility funded by taxpayers,” the DCP wrote in a fiery statement. “Its use cannot and should not be dictated by political calculations.”
Political tensions rise as Gachagua blames Ruto allies
Gachagua’s camp is not mincing words. They believe President William Ruto’s allies are behind the sudden cancellation, trying to prevent the former Deputy President from publicly launching his political vehicle.
Sources close to Gachagua say the DCP launch was meant to signal his formal break from Ruto and position him as a potential presidential contender in 2027.
“This is not about CHAN. It’s about fear,” said a senior DCP official. “They are using the excuse of sports to choke our constitutional right to assembly.”
Indeed, many in Gachagua’s circle believe that the move is part of a wider plan to weaken emerging opposition figures before they gain momentum. Blocking the DCP launch, they say, is just the beginning.
The optics are hard to ignore. Why did Sports Kenya accept the payment, approve the booking, and then cancel it just days later?
These questions have fueled suspicion that state machinery is being misused to settle political scores. And Gachagua, who once stood side-by-side with Ruto during the 2022 elections, now finds himself battling the very government he helped bring to power.
Kasarani decision seen as assault on political rights
The bigger issue goes beyond venue logistics. It touches on democratic space—or the lack of it. For many Kenyans, this incident mirrors a growing pattern where political dissent is muzzled under technical pretexts.
“Today it’s the DCP. Tomorrow it could be anyone,” warned human rights activist Beatrice Achieng. “When public venues are used to punish opposition voices, democracy suffers.”
Civic groups have begun raising concerns about the shrinking space for political engagement in Kenya. The move to block Gachagua’s DCP launch feeds into a growing narrative: that dissenters are being isolated and silenced using state resources.
Political analyst Martin Ochieng agrees. “This is not an isolated incident. It reflects a broader trend of intolerance toward political competition,” he said. “The state’s excuse lacks credibility. It’s a warning to others thinking of defecting or forming alternative parties.”
The government has yet to issue a detailed explanation, beyond the brief statement from Sports Kenya. Meanwhile, DCP supporters have been left in limbo, unsure if the launch will happen elsewhere or be postponed altogether.
Gachagua is expected to address the press in the coming days, outlining the party’s way forward. But insiders say the damage is already done. The cancellation, whether intentional or not, has handed DCP a potent political weapon—proof, they say, of just how far Ruto’s government will go to control the political narrative.
