DAP party leader Eugene Wamalwa and TransNzoia Governor George Natembeya at the center of internal conflict within the party……Photo/courtesy.
By Peter Mwibanda
NAIROBI, Kenya (IP)
The Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) once hailed as the rising centrist force in Kenya’s fractured political arena, is now battling for survival as internal rivalries, tribal undercurrents and alleged state interference threaten to implode the party from within.
Founded with lofty ambitions to challenge regional kingpins and offer ideological clarity beyond ethnic lines, DAP-K now finds itself lurching toward the same political graveyard that has claimed many of Kenya’s regional outfits — undone by personality cults, unchecked ambition and the ghosts of tribal arithmetic.
A Party Tearing at the Seams
At the heart of the DAP-K crisis is an ugly power struggle pitting party leader Eugene Wamalwa against emerging voices within the party who accuse him of gatekeeping, personalizing decision-making and undermining internal democracy.
Top party officials have either resigned, gone silent or publicly contradicted one another on strategy and leadership succession — all while jostling for influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
“There is no clarity. No vision. Just raw political ambition,” said a senior party official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Everyone is fighting to be seen as the Western region’s next kingpin — but no one wants to build the actual party.”
Tribal Fault Lines Resurface
Although DAP-K initially branded itself as a national movement with a Western Kenya backbone, internal sources say tribal loyalties are now dominating strategic decisions from candidate selection to coalition negotiations.
Luhya sub-ethnic factions — Bukusu, Tachoni,Maragoli and Teso — are reportedly competing for supremacy within party ranks, while leaders from other regions feel increasingly sidelined.
“DAP-K is becoming a tribal playground dressed in national colors,” said political analyst Brenda Mboya. “It’s another example of Kenyan politics where the tribe trumps ideology.”
This fragmentation is particularly damaging in the context of the Western vote bloc, long considered kingmaker in national elections but chronically divided by infighting and egos.
State Interference Allegations Fuel Paranoia
As tensions escalate, some senior DAP-K officials allege that the party is being quietly infiltrated and manipulated by state operatives loyal to President William Ruto’s administration.
The goal, they claim, is to weaken DAP-K’s influence in Western Kenya and lure key figures into UDA or UDA-friendly outfits.
“There are people being funded and supported to cause confusion within our ranks,” claimed a vocal party youth leader during a rally in Bungoma. “They want to ensure that by 2027, DAP-K is a shell — just like what happened to Ford Kenya and ANC in past cycles.”
While the Office of the President has denied any involvement in opposition sabotage, the growing influence of state-aligned political benefactors in the region is undeniable.
A Familiar Kenyan Tragedy
For many observers, DAP-K’s implosion is neither surprising nor unique.
It follows a well-worn pattern in Kenyan politics where regional parties rise on the backs of charismatic founders only to crumble under the weight of personality worship, ethnic divisions and short-term thinking.
“Kenya’s regional parties often mistake loyalty to a leader for loyalty to a cause,” said constitutional lawyer Kibe Mungai. “When ambition rises and resources shrink, the knives come out — and voters are left with broken promises.”
The ongoing infighting is already costing DAP-K politically.
Several aspirants in the upcoming by-elections in Busia and Kakamega counties have distanced themselves from the party label preferring to run as independents or under more stable coalitions.
2027: A Dream Deferred?
As Raila Odinga’s ODM struggles to redefine itself ahead of his possible AU Commission departure and UDA faces internal rifts, DAP-K had a rare opening to expand its influence nationally.
Instead, the party risks becoming another cautionary tale — a promising outfit derailed by ego, ethnicity and external manipulation.
With only two years to the general election, the question is no longer whether DAP-K will be kingmaker in Western Kenya but whether it will even survive long enough to appear on the ballot.
Ends.
