DCP harvests Luhya support, kicks out Wetang’ula, Wamalwa
Newly formed Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) led by former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has stormed the Mulembe Nation with a force leaving regional parties wiping dust if a recent survey is anything to go by.
The Mulembe nation has been traditionally aligned with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford-Kenya) and Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K).
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ODM is currently led by Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga, who took the mantle after the death of his younger brother Raila Odinga.
Ford-Kenya is led by Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula while Eugene Wamalwa is the leader of DAP-K.
In the survey released by research firm Infotrak on Friday, January 9, ODM still commands large support in the region with 25 per cent popularity followed by UDA (20%) and DCP emerges third popular party with 7% approval.
Ford Kenya only shows up a distant 4th with 7 per cent support while DAP-K comes at position seven with an approval of only two per cent.
DCP has strong support in Busia county with 11% support followed by Kakamega (8%), Bungoma and Trans Nzoia (5%) and Vihiga 1%.
Ford Kenya is most popular in Bungoma with 7% support, Vihiga 4%, Kakamega and Trans Nzoia 3% and least popular in Busia at 2%.
Eugene Wamalwa-led DAP-K is least popular with huge support coming from Busia county at 3% followed by Trans Nzoia 2% and one per cent in Kakamega, Vihiga and Bungoma respectively.
Both Eugene Wamalwa and his deputy, Governor George Natembeya hail from Trans Nzoia county which would have been expected to be the party’s stronghold.
Wetang’ula hails from Bungoma and he is deputised by Governor Ken Lusaka, who is now leading President William Ruto’s re-election bid in western Kenya.
The popularity of the DCP party can be attributed to former Kakmega Senator Cleophas Malalah who is also the party deputy leader and its Malava by-election candidate Edgar Busiega.
Malalah and Busiega endured massive opposition as they mounted a spirited campaign in the Malava parliamentary by-election with pressure from Eugene’s DAP-K party demanding that the Gachagua-led party pull out of the race.
Eventually, Busiega dropped his ambition and threw his weight behind DAP-K’s Seth Panyako but was defeated at the ballot by UDA’s David Ndakwa.
Initially, Busiega was the DAP-K’s stronger candidate until he was pushed out due to manipulation and internal party wrangles mostly between Wamalwa and Natembeya.
UDA’s strong support can also be attributed to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who folded his Amani National Congress (ANC) party to merge with the ruling party.
Musalia has been the uniting factor of the Luhya vote over the years and is seen as the force behind Ruto’s good reception in the region.
