DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has sparked questions about the fairness of his party’s nomination process after publicly backing Peter Munyiri’s bid for the Nyeri governorship, even as other aspirants prepare to compete for the same ticket.
The move risks deepening divisions among politicians who have invested time and resources in building the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), with some already registering their interest and preparing for the party primaries.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Gachagua hosted Munyiri, a former Kenya High Commissioner to India, at his Wamunyoro residence, where the economist declared his intention to contest for governor on the DCP ticket.
Gachagua said he had given Munyiri his blessings and urged him to mobilise support ahead of the primaries.
“I have assured Economist Munyiri of a free and fair nomination and asked him to activate his support base and mobilise votes in preparation for the party primaries,” Gachagua said.
The remarks have put the party leader in a difficult position, given the expectations of other aspirants who have been preparing to face one another in an open nomination contest.
Aspirants face questions over fairness
The Nyeri governor race has attracted several political figures, including former Othaya MP Gichuki Mugambi, Deputy Governor David Kinaniri, engineer Wangai Ndirangu and Senator Wahome Wamatinga.
Nyeri DCP apirant Peter Munyiri
Not all the aspirants have declared interest in the DCP ticket, but their names have featured in discussions around the contest to succeed Governor Mutahi Kahiga.
DCP opened registration for candidates seeking its ticket and set the fee for governor aspirants at KSh50,000, with discounted rates for youth and persons with disabilities. The party’s registration guidelines require prospective candidates to complete the process ahead of the 2027 elections.
For aspirants who have paid fees, recruited supporters and helped popularise the party, the prospect of a perceived preferred candidate could raise questions about whether their efforts will count equally at the primaries.
The concern is not limited to Nyeri. Other DCP aspirants have questioned the fairness of the nomination process, particularly where party leaders appear to endorse preferred candidates before members vote.
Munyiri’s name in the Sh791 million NYS scandal
Munyiri’s political ambitions also bring renewed attention to his past involvement in the Sh791 million National Youth Service (NYS) money-laundering case, one of the scandals that exposed the loss of public funds through questionable payments.
In the case, the former Family Bank chief executive was accused of failing to report suspicious transactions involving three bank accounts through which businesswoman Josephine Kabura allegedly moved money linked to the scandal.
The prosecution argued that Munyiri and other bank officials had failed to report the transactions to the relevant authorities.
However, in December 2022, Milimani Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi acquitted Munyiri and two other co-accused persons after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against them.
The court ruled that the responsibility to report suspicious transactions rested with the bank’s anti-money laundering compliance manager, Charles Kamau Thiongo, who was convicted and fined KSh750,000.
Family Bank had earlier been fined KSh64.5 million after pleading guilty to six counts of failing to report suspicious transactions involving Kabura’s accounts.
Although Munyiri was acquitted and must not be presented as having been convicted of the offences, the NYS case remains an important part of the public record surrounding his career.
His entry into the Nyeri governor race, backed publicly by Gachagua, therefore raises questions about the political choices being made by the DCP leadership as it prepares to field candidates for the 2027 elections.
