The cracks in the Kenya Kwanza coalition are widening into chasms. Irungu Nyakera, the Nairobi Patron of the newly formed Democracy for the Citizen Party (DCP), has dismissed today’s UDA grassroots elections in Mt Kenya as a "pointless exercise in futility."

Nyakera’s scathing attack is significant because DCP is widely viewed as the "Plan B" vehicle for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the disgruntled Mt Kenya voting bloc. By attacking the legitimacy of the ruling party's internal polls, Nyakera is signaling that the region has mentally seceded from UDA.

"We Have Moved On"

"The ground has shifted," Nyakera declared at a press conference in Roysambu. "Why fight for positions in a house that is burning? The people of the Mountain are building a new home. UDA can elect whoever they want; they are electing leaders of an empty shell."

• The Boycott Strategy: Reports from Murang'a and Nyeri indicate low voter turnout in the UDA polls, contrasting sharply with the long queues seen in President Ruto’s Rift Valley stronghold. Nyakera claims this apathy is deliberate—a silent protest by a region that feels betrayed by the Finance Act and the sidelining of their son, Gachagua.
• The Rise of Village Parties: Nyakera argues that the era of "super-parties" is over. "Politics is local. We are going back to our roots. DCP will champion the interests of the farmer and the trader, not the IMF," he stated.
• Political Chess: Analysts see Nyakera’s outburst as a calculated move to test the waters. If the UDA elections flop in Central, it validates Gachagua’s claim that he holds the region’s key. If they succeed, Nyakera and DCP risk irrelevance.

2027 Loading

The dismissal of the UDA polls is the first shot in the 2027 campaign. It confirms that the ruling coalition will likely face a formidable internal challenger from its own backyard. The "Mountain" is not just restless; it is organizing.