In an unexpected twist barely two weeks after launching the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has executed a brutal internal purge.
Top DCP officials have been fired without consultation, including his own deputy Cleophas Malala. The move exposes a deliberate attempt by Gachagua to centralize power, neutralize potential rivals, and stock key positions with loyalists.
What was branded a people-first party is quickly morphing into a one-man show where dissenters are discarded and allies reduced to ceremonial flower girls. The sackings have triggered unease among party members who fear authoritarianism is taking root in DCP’s infancy.
Gachagua Fired DCP Officials to Install Loyalists and Sideline Malala
Less than 15 days after promising to “listen to Kenyans”, Gachagua fired the first warning shot to his own party. In a gazette notice dated May 30, he axed key officials from top DCP positions. There were no consultations, no meetings, and no notice.
Among those fired were National Chairperson Thomas Ratemo and Secretary General Mably Owino—figures viewed as foundational voices in the party’s launch. Their replacements? David Mingati Parseina and Hezron Obaga—little-known operatives with longstanding ties to Gachagua’s inner circle.
He also dismissed other senior leaders, including:
- Deputy Secretary General Operations: Hussein Athman replaced by Martin Ole Kamwalo
- National Treasurer: Laura Njeri replaced by Annah Kavuu Mutua
- Deputy Treasurer Operations: Abdifatah Abdullahi replaced by Everngeline Wanjira Njoka
- National Organizing Secretary: Joy Gatugi replaced by ex-CS Franklin Mithika Linturi
- Deputy Organizing Secretary: Jeremiah Mong’eri replaced by Abubakar Abdi Ogle
- Women’s Caucus Chairperson: Miriam Fredina Mariki replaced by Catherine Waruguru
- Youth Caucus Chairperson: Joel Sang replaced by Serah Wanjiku Thiga
Behind this dramatic shake-up is a single goal—complete control. Sources close to the party reveal Gachagua’s growing frustration with officials seen to be allied with Malala and other independent voices within the DCP.
Rather than build consensus, Gachagua has chosen to bulldoze his way through. His decision to sidestep Malala and other top party founders in announcing these sweeping changes is a clear indication that DCP is now fully under his command.
Malala Sidelined and Rebranded as a Party Flower Girl
Gachagua’s biggest betrayal may not be the firing of junior party officials, but the strategic humiliation of Cleophas Malala. Once a prominent face in the party’s rollout, Malala was neither informed nor consulted about the dismissals. Worse, none of his allies survived the purge.
Insiders say Malala is furious. But he is cornered. Publicly, he continues to toe the line, praising the party’s mission. Privately, however, sources say Malala is bitter and isolated. Without allies in the core decision-making table, he has been reduced to a ceremonial deputy—a loud voice with no vote.
In political slang, he has become a “flower girl”—allowed to smile, wave, and yap on stage, but never given the power to act. This is a calculated move by Gachagua. He is dismantling any semblance of a team structure and replacing it with a network of loyalists who owe everything to him.
Those who speak against the new order risk being cast out just like Ratemo and Owino. This consolidation of power may be smart politics for Gachagua, but it is also dangerous. The Democracy for Citizens Party is quickly becoming a dictatorship masquerading as a listening movement.
DCP’s Listening Ear Logo Looks Increasingly Ironic
When Gachagua unveiled DCP on May 15, the party’s messaging was all about inclusion. The logo featured a listening ear. The slogan, Skiza Wakenya, promised that every Kenyan’s voice would matter.
But Gachagua is not even listening to his own team. The sackings prove that the party’s high-sounding promises were a smokescreen. From the start, DCP may have been a vehicle designed to serve one man’s ambitions—not the will of the people.
These changes have already triggered murmurs within party branches across the country. Local DCP officials in Nyanza, Coast, and Rift Valley regions are reportedly questioning whether they can trust the party leadership if Gachagua is willing to discard core team members this early.
By choosing to rule through decree instead of dialogue, Gachagua risks triggering a slow collapse from within. A party that listens only to one voice is not a party—it is a personal project.
