On Friday, November 13, 2026, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua received Runyenjes MP Eric Muchangi Karemba at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri County, marking the MP’s formal entry into the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) after leaving the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Gachagua said Karemba would work with Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji to popularise DCP across Embu County, targeting the governorship, parliamentary seats and all 20 ward positions in the upcoming 2027 General Election.
He also announced plans to travel to Runyenjes Constituency the following week to formally introduce Karemba to constituents, describing DCP as “the party of the present and the future.”
Karemba had announced on October 26, 2026 that he would not contest the 2027 election on a UDA ticket, though another report placed his public signalling of the break on October 25, 2026.
The MP was first elected in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket, re-elected in 2022 on a UDA ticket, and currently chairs the National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee, having previously chaired the Labour Committee.
He is noted as the first member of the Akorino community to serve in Parliament and is recognised for his distinctive white headgear.
Karemba’s defection adds to a series of Mt Kenya politicians abandoning UDA, including Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja and other leaders who have joined DCP or alternative parties.
The shift is seen as significant because the Mount Kenya region supplied a substantial share of President William Ruto’s support in the 2022 election, and Gachagua is seeking to consolidate his influence there ahead of the 2027 polls.
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