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Gachagua party: New forest, same monkeys

Rigathi Gachagua

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua poses for a photograph after unveiling his new political outfit, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), at the party headquarters in the Lavington, Nairobi, on May 15, 2025.

Photo credit: Thomas Mukoya | Reuters

By  David M. Kigo

Kenyans should not rush to celebrate the launch of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. A closer look reveals a familiar script—new forest, same monkeys.

The pomp and colour surrounding the launch echoed countless political unveilings in our history, all accompanied by lofty promises of clean leadership and national renewal. Yet, time and again, such movements have proven to be hollow. Kenya’s political class, regardless of party or era, is hewn from the same self-serving stone.

Mr Gachagua’s DCP harks back to the early 1990s when President Daniel Moi grudgingly yielded to demands for multi-party democracy. The opposition leaders went back to their tribal cocoons and formed ethnically aligned parties masquerading as national movements. Today, little has changed.

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The very figures who stood with Mr Gachagua at the DCP launch were in Kenya Kwanza’s inner circle. Mr Gachagua himself was President William Ruto’s fiercest defender and a leading figure in vilifying dissenters, especially in the Mt Kenya region.

Now, following his impeachment, the tables have turned. His mission appears less about reforming Kenya and more about settling political scores. It is not national transformation that drives him—it is personal vengeance.

This opportunism is mirrored across the political divide.

Kenya Kwanza, once buoyed by anti-Uhuru Kenyatta sentiment, is now struggling to honour its promises. Its leadership is increasingly reactive, grasping for relevance ahead of 2027. From the Gen Z protests to Mr Gachagua’s post-impeachment resurgence, the ruling coalition is rattled.

Kenyan politics remains tribal, regional, and personality-driven. Both government and opposition manipulate poverty and economic despair to rally support—exploiting pain without offering lasting solutions. Many of our politicians are not driven by the desire to change Kenya for the better, they are driven by the greed to self-actualise.

Kenyans must confront this charade head-on, rejecting both ruling and opposition elites for their hypocrisy and greed. Until we hold all leaders accountable—regardless of party or region—we will continue to recycle the same failed actors.

David M. Kigo, Nairobi