Malala Snubs DCP Coast Retreat as Fault Lines Deepen Around Gachagua

The internal strains within the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) burst into the open on the shores of Mombasa this week after former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala conspicuously skipped a high-stakes strategic retreatconvened by party leader Rigathi Gachagua.

The three-day conclave, billed as a blueprint for DCP’s march to 2027, went ahead—but without the man widely viewed as the party’s national mobiliser. Malala’s absence was impossible to ignore. As Gachagua addressed delegates alongside organising secretary Mithika Linturi, the empty chair at the high table became the loudest political statement in the room.

A Party Talking Unity, Showing Division

Malala’s no-show follows a pattern that has unsettled insiders: weeks of silence, skipped rallies, and growing distance from the party’s public activities. Those close to him suggest the former senator is reassessing his political future as alliances shift and DCP’s internal balance of power changes.

Publicly, the leadership downplayed the snub. Privately, it has amplified fears of an irreparable rift at the top.

What the Retreat Was About

The Mombasa meeting focused on a “2026 Strategic Plan” aimed at transforming DCP from a perceived Mount Kenya–centric outfit into a national force. Key priorities included:

• Aggressive membership recruitment in the Coast and Western regions

• Building grassroots structures ahead of the 2027 election cycle

• Positioning DCP as a viable bargaining bloc in coalition negotiations

Yet the irony was not lost on delegates: a retreat meant to project cohesion instead highlighted fragmentation.

Defections and Diminishing Leverage

The timing could not be worse for Gachagua. Reports of disgruntled DCP members drifting back to Jubilee have raised questions about the party’s staying power and weakened its negotiating hand in the broader opposition landscape.

Malala, with his Western Kenya base and reputation as a relentless mobiliser, was meant to be central to countering that narrative. His absence leaves a vacuum—political and symbolic.

The Linturi Ascendancy

With Malala increasingly distant, Mithika Linturi has quietly stepped into the role of de facto second-in-command, taking charge of organisational strategy and grassroots expansion. His prominence at the retreat underlined a shifting internal hierarchy—one that may further alienate Malala if left unresolved.

Confidence on the Podium, Questions Off It

“We are here to build a machine that will win,” Gachagua told delegates, brushing aside repeated questions about his deputy’s whereabouts.

But political machines need all their cylinders firing.

Without Malala’s energy, networks, and national appeal, DCP risks being branded a regional vehicle with national ambitions, rather than a genuine nationwide contender. The Coast retreat may have reinforced the base—but it has also exposed how fragile the party’s roof has become.

In Kenyan politics, absence is rarely accidental. And Malala’s silence is now shaping the story more than any speech delivered in Mombasa.