Cleophas Malala, Deputy Leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), has announced plans to partner with Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya in a campaign to unseat Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa in the 2027 elections.
The move has exposed apparent contradictions within the DCP, an outfit led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has consistently condemned any political collaboration with President William Ruto and officials working for him.
Gachagua, a vocal critic of the current administration, has particularly targeted Mt Kenya Cabinet Secretaries and politicians who work with them, declaring such partnerships a “betrayal” in the Mt Kenya region.
He has repeatedly warned Mt Kenya politicians against any form of cooperation with government CSs.
“This community, the Mt Kenya region, will deal with traitors for the next 50 years. We are going to send a very strong signal to all those who have betrayed the Mt Kenya community by associating with Ruto. Those who have betrayed the community and sold out will be sent packing, one way or another,” Gachagua said in February.
However, his deputy in the DCP has taken a markedly different approach.
Malala on Saturday visited Oparanya’s office to initiate discussions on Kakamega County’s 2027 politics.
During the meeting, Malala urged the Cabinet Secretary to play an active role in shaping the gubernatorial contest, acknowledging that Oparanya’s previous political influence s had hugely shaped the Kakamega race in 2022.
The partnership between Malala and Oparanya raises questions about the DCP’s internal cohesion and whether the party’s stance on government cooperation applies uniformly across regions, or only within Mt Kenya.
