The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) has suffered a setback ahead of the upcoming Magarini by-election after its candidate, Furaha Chengo Ngumbao, resigned from the party.
In a letter dated Monday, September 29, and addressed to the Secretary-General, Chengo, who also served as a member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), cited frustrations and lack of institutional support as key reasons for his departure.
"Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) as a National Executive Committee (NEC) member, effective immediately.
"This decision has not been taken lightly, but I can no longer continue in a role where my efforts are undermined by systemic inefficiencies and a lack of support from key party officials," he wrote.
Chengo, however, praised the party leader, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, expressing gratitude for the leadership and vision that initially inspired him to serve within the party.
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However, he was blunt in his criticism of the National Elections Board (NEB) and the Secretary-General, pointing to what ge described as a culture of disregard and inefficiency.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude and respect to our party leader for their unwavering commitment to our ideals and vision. Their leadership has been a source of inspiration, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have served under their guidance.
"However, my experience with the National Elections Board (NEB) and the Secretary-General (SG) has been profoundly discouraging. The persistent lack of communication, disregard for grassroots concerns, and an inability to provide clear directives have created an environment where Aspirants like myself are left to navigate critical issues without guidance or support," he continued.
Chengo further decried what he termed opaque decision-making processes and the marginalization of NEC members, warning that such practices were threatening the party’s credibility.
"Specifically, the absence of timely feedback, opaque decision-making processes, and the marginalization of NEC members in key deliberations have eroded my confidence in the party’s ability to function effectively. These issues have not only hindered my work but also compromised my ability to serve my supporters effectively," he added.
In his closing remarks, Chengo urged the party to embrace reforms that would restore trust and strengthen its democratic values.
"I hope that future leadership will prioritize transparency, inclusivity, and accountability. Our party’s success depends on the active engagement and trust of its members, and I fear that without meaningful reforms, we risk alienating the very people we aim to serve.
"It is in this realization that I Hon Furaha Chengo Ngumbao, a patriotic Kenyan tender my resignation as a member of the Democracy for Citizens Party DCP with immediate effect," he concluded.
This comes days after the DCP Party denied claims about withdrawing from the upcoming Malava constituency by-election, maintaining its commitment to field a candidate in the November polls.
In a press address on Thursday, September 25, the deputy party leader Cleophas Malala noted that the party remains resolute in participating in the by-election despite ongoing negotiations within opposition circles about candidate consolidation.
"We have not withdrawn any candidate, and I'm addressing this issue in the case of Malava constituency,” he stated.
Malala acknowledged the complex dynamics within the opposition coalition while maintaining his party's independent stance.
"We are alive of the fact that we exist within a united opposition but as it stands right now we have not negotiated with any sister party in withdrawing the candidature," he declared.
Malala confirmed that despite participating in broader opposition unity discussions, DCP has not formally agreed to withdraw from the race.
"To the best of our ability and to the best of our knowledge, we believe that if there is somebody who's supposed to withdraw, then it's not the DCP candidate.
“Today, this is an affirmation that the DCP party will be fielding a candidate in Malava constituency in the name of Wakili Edgar Busiega Mwanga," he stated.
