Democracy for the Citizens Party Bars UDA Defectors, Rejects Direct Nominations

The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has announced strict entry conditions for politicians defecting from rival outfits, specifically barring those who campaigned for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in Ol Kalou and ruling out direct nominations ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The party says the measures are intended to ready it for competitive primaries that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) must finalise by May 9, 2027, and DCP Secretary-General Designate John Methu stated that politicians who actively supported UDA or were present at the recent Ol Kalou by-election will be prohibited from joining the party.

The policy follows DCP’s decisive victory in the Ol Kalou by-election on July 16, 2026, where candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho won with 35,440 votes, while UDA’s Samuel Muchina received 5,450 votes, solidifying the party’s standing in the Mt Kenya region.

Methu also dismissed any possibility of direct party tickets for new entrants, insisting that every aspirant must compete through the established nomination process and quoting, “The nominations will be free and fair. There will be no preferred candidates.”

He added that lawmakers who voted to impeach party leader Rigathi Gachagua in October 2024 will not receive preferential treatment despite Gachagua’s public forgiveness, and will still be subject to the party’s standard vetting and nomination procedures.

Political analyst Gicheha Mwangi warned that the DCP leadership must apply the new rules transparently to prevent internal disputes that could benefit competing parties.