Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua/HANDOUT
Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has proposed the formation of a coalition bringing together political parties allied to the one-term movement in the Mt Kenya region, saying the alliance should be known as the hyena coalition.
Speaking on Thursday, Gachagua said he would ask Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi to convene leaders of the region’s political parties to formalise the coalition as they prepare for the 2027 General Election.
He said the coalition would unite parties supporting the one-term agenda while allowing each party to retain its identity.
“There are nearly 30 political parties in the Mt Kenya region. About 16 of them contacted me last night, saying they had heard I intended to ask Justin Muturi to convene a meeting, and they were very pleased with the proposal,” Gachagua said.
“We want all the One-Term parties in the Mt Kenya region to come together and form a Mt Kenya coalition of parties committed to a one-term.”
He said the proposed coalition would be a response to remarks recently referred to opposition leaders using the “hyena” analogy.
“Kwa sababu tumetukanwa tumekubali, tunataka tujiite hyena coalition. My brother JB convene all of us hapa milimani as hyena coalition, mafisi wote,” he said.
Gachagua maintained that the coalition would not require political parties to dissolve or merge into a single outfit.
Instead, he said each party would continue operating independently while working together under a common coalition framework.
“We want all these parties to remain together. I also want us to have many parties because we need enough agents to protect our votes,” he said.
He said the coalition would only require consensus on the presidential race, while allowing parties to field candidates for other elective positions.
“There should be no zoning except for the presidency. That is the only position we need to agree on,” Gachagua said.
He added that leaders within the proposed alliance had a common political objective.
“Hapa we all know our enemy and among each other we have no problem at all,” he said.
The proposal comes amid ongoing efforts by opposition leaders to strengthen cooperation ahead of the 2027 elections.
On Tuesday, Gachagua said there was no hurry to settle on a single opposition presidential candidate, arguing that each political formation should first consolidate its support base before coalition negotiations begin.
He said DCP’s immediate priority remained political mobilisation rather than coalition building.
“I want to tell the people of Kenya there is no hurry to arrive at a single presidential candidate. First things first. We must first consolidate,” he said, adding that he would continue popularising DCP across the country before discussions on a joint presidential ticket begin.
Earlier this week, Gachagua also dismissed suggestions that DCP was seeking to eliminate other political parties in the Mt Kenya region.
He said the party welcomed competition from other political formations and only sought unity around the presidential contest.
His remarks followed criticism from Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, former Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya of the Party of National Unity (PNU) and Democratic Empowerment Party (DEP) leader Lenny Kivuti, who rejected reports that they had been asked to dissolve their parties and join DCP.
The three leaders said political parties are independent institutions governed by their constitutions and the Political Parties Act, adding that any decision to merge or dissolve a party must be made by the relevant party organs.
Also yesterday, Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata defended his decision to join DCP, saying remaining in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) would have forced his supporters to choose between their loyalty to the party and support for his leadership.
Kang’ata said many residents in Murang’a had demonstrated strong support for DCP and joining the party spared them what he described as an unnecessary political dilemma.