He helped found Jubilee. Now Francis Kimemia has packed his bags and walked into Rigathi Gachagua's camp.

The former Nyandarua Governor has defected to the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), led by the former Deputy President. Gachagua received him at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri, where Kimemia arrived at the head of a delegation from Nyandarua, the Standard reported. DCP Secretary-General and Nyandarua Senator John Methu was present.

'This is their preferred party'

Kimemia said his move followed consultations with the voters he once served. "I have listened to the people of Nyandarua county who I served diligently during my tenure as their governor. This is their preferred party and I am willing to work with it to win the next general elections," he said.

He promised to complete projects he started during his time in office if he is elected again.

Kimemia ran for re-election on a Jubilee ticket in 2022 but lost to Kiarie Badilisha, who was elected on UDA. According to the Standard, the 2027 contest is shaping up to include Badilisha, former Water Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki and lawyer John Theuri.

Gachagua said DCP would welcome anyone who wants to run on its ticket and promised a fair process. "We are welcoming any member who wills to join the party. We are promising that the party will conduct free and fair nominations," he said. The Mount Kenya Times reported that he said the nominations would be held in March next year.

Part of a wider realignment

Kimemia's move is the latest in a string of exits from Jubilee and from President William Ruto's UDA in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the August 2027 election. Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan recently left Jubilee for DCP.

An analysis published by the Star on Thursday lists a long line of leaders who have left UDA or said they will not seek re-election on its ticket, among them Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata, Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, who now leads the People's Party of Kenya. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja moved to ODM this week.

Political analyst Maurice Makhanu told the Star that Gachagua's impeachment in October 2024 was the turning point. "The impeachment of Gachagua was a great political blunder. It created the impression that Mt Kenya region has been removed from UDA," he said.

What to watch

DCP's pull was shown in the July 2026 Ol Kalou by-election in Nyandarua, where its candidate won 35,440 votes against UDA's 5,450, according to the Star. Kimemia's arrival gives the party an experienced former county chief in the same county, but it also means a tougher fight for the DCP ticket itself. How the party runs its March nominations will show whether its promise of a fair contest holds.

Photos: The Mount Kenya Times (DCP). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.