The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, has named Furaha Chengo Ngumbao as its candidate in the forthcoming Magarini Constituency by-election.
Ngumbao received his nomination certificate on Thursday from the party’s Secretary General, Hezron Obaga, who praised him as the right choice to reclaim the seat. “We believe Furaha will represent the aspirations of the people of Magarini. He has our full confidence,” Mr Obaga said at the ceremony.
The Magarini seat fell vacant after the High Court annulled the results of the 2022 election following a successful petition. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has scheduled the by-election for November 27, alongside 23 other mini-polls across the country.
DCP, which has recently been positioning itself as a key player in the opposition coalition, has also announced that it will not field candidates in some races. The party said it had withdrawn from Muumbini Ward in Makueni County in support of the Wiper Democratic Movement, led by Kalonzo Musyoka. It also stepped aside in Kabuchai/Chwele Ward, Bungoma County, to back Eugene Wamalwa’s Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K).
Party officials said the move was meant to strengthen cooperation within the opposition bloc and avoid splitting votes in tightly contested areas.
The IEBC has set the official campaign period from October 8 to November 24, with rallies allowed between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day.
For Ngumbao and DCP, the Magarini contest will be a test not only of local support but also of the party’s influence within the broader national opposition landscape.
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