Chaos erupted at the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Meru branch on Saturday, September 6, morning after party members expressed frustrations in the sudden change of the party's leadership in the county.
The stalemate ensued after the County party's Chairperson, Timothy Githinji, was reportedly removed and replaced by James Mithika Friday evening, a move that has since sparked outrage among party members.
While opposing the changes, the party members within the county accused DCP leadership of bias, with angry members now threatening to exit the party.
The Meru residents allied to DCP also threatened to bar former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is also the DCP leader, from entering the county in the future.
According to them, the manner in which the changes were conducted was a sign of blatant lack of integrity by the party hierarchy.
"I have noted with much concern that this party is no longer transparent. If the chairperson can be changed at night, I speculate that we will even be denied the party tickets," said DCP Aspirant Benjamin Kimathi.
I want to tell the party leader Rigathi Gachagua that as much as we love this party, the leaders whom you chose to represent us here in Meru have become biased," Kimathi added.
Following the chaos, the party leadership announced the suspension of the party grassroots elections in Meru County for the next two weeks until the matter is settled.
"In the next two weeks, we will have a proper list of officials, which is gender balanced because that was one of the huge concerns," noted DCP Secretary General Hezron Obaga.
This comes hours after DCP candidate for Mbeere North by-election Duncan Mbui announced that he had left the party to run as an Independent candidate.
In a statement on Saturday morning, Mbui accused the party of allegedly attempting to water down his ambition of becoming the next Mbeere North Member of Parliament.
"I have been watching with a keen eye the ongoings at the DCP party and have come to the conclusion that the party is a members' club,' Mbui wrote on his Facebook page.
"The club has been influenced to decide that DCP should not field a candidate in Mbeere North, which decision I view as a deliberate attempt to kill my ambition and that of the KivuiKivui fraternity," he added.
