A section of Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) grassroots leaders in Nakuru County have threatened to decamp the party, claiming frustrations with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The leaders accused Naivasha Member of Parliament (MP) Jayne Kihara of micromanaging party affairs in the county and causing friction among supporters and leaders.

Speaking in Nakuru town on Friday, December 12, 2025, the leaders, led by Roes Kariuki, said that their governance structure has been heavily diluted, and supporters and aspirants are confused about the coordination.

”This party came to us when it was very strong, and we embraced it thinking it would help progress well, but we are saddened by some of the leaders who have blocked us from growth,” he said.

He said that efforts by the grassroots leaders, as well as supporters, to have an audience with Gachagua have been frustrated by the leader, leaving them desperate.

This comes even as the United Opposition continue to strategise on the 2027 polls in efforts to unseat President William Ruto.

While the opposition bigwigs have brushed off any sign of internal rift, critics, on the other hand, have continued with their barenuckles on Gachagua, accusing him of using intimidation to dominate the anti-government team.

For instance, Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge has claimed that the DCP boss is deploying heavy-handed tactics and intimidation to dominate the United Opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.

In an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, the lawmaker drew parallels between Gachagua’s past leadership style, saying early signs of coercion were already undermining efforts to build a credible alternative to the government.

“The stop as he worked for the people who elected him, that intimidation, that dictatorship, that strong tactics and questioning is exactly what the guys in the United Opposition are experiencing currently,” he said.

Tiff in DCP?

Incidentally, Kariuki said that some of the other parties are silently edging them out of the political space because of fragmented coordination, and thus feel that their interests are no longer being protected in the current setup.

Moreover, Eddy Chimuma, another leader, said that the party is slowly becoming a pale image of its past due to the infighting and backstabbing from leaders who should have been bringing them together.

He said that the party leader ought to take urgent steps to rein in the micromanaging of the party affairs and allow the free minds of the supporters and leaders.

“We can’t have a free mind to engage our national leaders because of what is being done by leaders we expect to grow the party. Other leaders are now pushing us out of the political scene, “he said.

Joseph Karuri said that MP Kihara and DCP county coordinator William Wachira have let them down in creating vibrancy in the party affairs and ensuring there is synergy.

A few months ago, Nakuru County DCP secretary Simon ole Nasieku expressed concern over attempts to frustrate his coordination by some of the party leaders and officials in the county.