Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has fired back at Githunguri Member of Parliament (MP) Gathoni Wamuchomba over her recent claims that she was being forced to join the party.

Speaking during an interview with K24 TV on Monday, January 12, 2026, Gachagua claimed that nobody has coerced Wamuchomba to join DCP and that if there were any such calls, they are from her constituents.

The former Deputy President argued that he has only been selling his DCP party and that, in Wamuchomba’s case, it is her constituents who are asking her to join the party so that she can be re-elected. According to Gachagua, it will be hard for anyone in the Mt Kenya region to get elected in 2027 if he/she is not in the DCP party.

“Forced by whom? It is the constituency. If they are telling her she is not DCP, she is gone. What can I do about it? Mine is just to sell DCP; I am not asking her to join. I am saying, if you want to be elected, come to DCP. If you are not in DCP, you won’t be elected. So, who is coercing her? Who is intimidating her?” Gachagua said.

Setting tempo

Gachagua went ahead to claim that his role is setting the tempo only and that it is not for him to decide whether Kenyans will agree with him or not.

“Mine is just to set the tempo; whether people agree with me or not, it is not for me to decide. I have not told anyone to go and join any other party; I have just told people to join DCP, and if wananchi in the region are saying yes, join DCP. That is not me,” he said.

Githunguri MP Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba tweeted that she is being forced to join DCP.

Hon. Rigathi Gachagua: Forced by who? It is the constituency. If they are telling her she is not DCP, she is gone, what can I do about. If you are not in DCP, you won't be elected. I have not… pic.twitter.com/bgMpaHOHwe

— K24TV (@K24Tv) January 12, 2026

Wamuchomba’s DCP claims

A week ago, Wamuchomba claimed that Gachagua was intimidating and using insults, coercing her to join the DCP party.

Taking to her official X account on Monday, January 5, 2026, the Githunguri legislator claimed the DCP leader was using insults to try to get her to decamp from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party and join his political outfit as alliances heading into the next general election take shape.

However, Wamuchomba noted that she will not be joining Gachagua’s camp, adding that she will continue to pitch camp in UDA until 2027. She recalled the same treatment during the 2023 Finance Bill voting.

”Sasa Wamunyoro anatumia kifua na matusi to intimidate me to join DCP. I need to lay bare facts for him. When he was DP, he did the same to intimidate me when I voted NO for the Finance Bill 2023. God deflated him painfully. He “started” a party, which he claims is a “mlima” party, and all of us must join. Yet from ORPP records, he’s not even an official! Let alone a party leader,” Wamuchomba said.

She accused Gachagua of using the Kiambu County Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa in his tricks to woo her.

”He’s using Sen Karungo to demean those not in the “Mlima” party. Karungo is still a UDA senator screaming about another party. If really this party is strong, why can’t Methu, Karungo, and Nyutu resign first, then we elect them through their new masikio party? I’m not joining Maskio party, and I’m in UDA till 2027,” she added.