By OMOLO PAKISTAN: The Democratic Congress Party (DCP) has announced a major leadership shakeup aimed at expanding its national footprint and strengthening its ranks ahead of upcoming political contests.

In a statement released on Monday, party leader Rigathi Gachagua revealed that the National Executive Council (NEC) has approved several key appointments to diversify the party’s representation and drive its future strategy.

Among the new appointments is Leonard Cheruiyot, who joins the NEC as the Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock, while Abdi Noor Mohammed takes over as the Chairperson for Northern representation.

To tap into the student and young voter demographic, Wilson Kanyagu Ndungu of Daystar University has been selected to represent the youth caucus.

Furthermore, John Methu of Nyandarua has been named Secretary General-designate, stepping in to replace Hezron Obaga.

It is not clear which role Mr Obaga will play moving forward.

Methu has been immediately tasked with a high-stakes assignment: leading the party’s campaign for the upcoming Ol Kalou by-election.

This organizational overhaul comes on the heels of a bruising mini-poll in Emurua Dikirr.

While the party did not secure the seat, Gachagua remained defiant, framing the performance as a moral victory.

Thanking the voters of Dikirr for their faith and support, the party leader alleged widespread malpractice, claiming that the final outcome would have amounted to an outright win were it not for bribery and intimidation.

The former Deputy President took a swipe at State House, adding that the DCP is encouraged by the fact that President William Ruto allegedly has to resort to bribery even within his own political backyard.

Despite the by-election friction, Gachagua insists that DCP is experiencing a massive wave of momentum, pointing to a surge of interest from aspirants in both the North Rift and South Rift regions.

He claimed that thousands of candidates have already registered to seek elective seats on the DCP ticket, noting that the party has already received 34 expressions of interest for governor positions, 764 for Member of National Assembly seats, and an impressive 11,564 aspirants vying for MCA positions.

According to Gachagua, this political interest is backed by a massive grassroots base, with the party’s total membership currently standing at 4,576,345 registered members.

However, he also noted that this expansion is facing institutional hurdles.