Janet Moraa, Deputy County Secretary of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) for Nakuru county, has defended her party and party leader Rigathi Gachagua from critisim of being a regional party and challenged the critics to focus their attention on what she describes as the real problems facing Kenya.

Speaking during a panel discussion on TV47’s breakfast show Morning Cafe, Moraa addressed criticisms towards party leader Rigathi Gachagua’s recent political maneuvers, particularly his focus on mobilizing support along ethnic lines and building coalitions with opposition leaders..

“Let me protect my party leader first because I feel that is my responsibility,” Moraa began.

She acknowledged the uncomfortable reality that many young Kenyans have been trying to overcome.

“Our party leader is often speaking about the numbers and actually we cannot ignore; politics is about numbers and in as much as the young people we have tried to bring the aspect of being tribeless and being party-less, the realities that we have already come to realize is our politics are still very tribal,” she explained.

The DCP official argued that Gachagua’s strategy of galvanizing support with fellow opposition leaders should not be seen as a betrayal of progressive politics.

“So you cannot condemn my party leader for articulating or trying to galvanize the support base with the fellow opposition leaders. And I feel what my party leader is doing with the DCP party and the United Opposition should not really affect a young person who is ODM party or UDA party,” Moraa stated.

Pushing back against perceptions that DCP is a one-man show dominated by Gachagua’s voice, Moraa highlighted the diversity of leadership within the party structure.

“So we are lucky to have so many voices within the party that are able to speak into what most of the majority of the people want to hear. For example, we have Senator Methu, we have Cleophas Malala, the deputy party leader. We have other political leaders. And we have also others within the structure, like the SG of the party, Hezron Obaga,” she said.

Moraa gave special recognition to the party’s Secretary General for his efforts in youth mobilization. “Actually, Hezron has been very instrumental in bringing the young people within the party.

He has always provided the support that the young people want together with the youth league being able to incorporate the young people within the party,” she noted.

However, Moraa was quick to acknowledge political realities that young activists often prefer to ignore.

“Also the vibrancy and the strength of the party is always judged based on the party leader who actually belongs to that party, right, old or new parties,” she observed.

Moraa dismissed claims of allegations that DCP has been issuing direct tickets to favored candidates.

“Why would someone say that DCP is giving direct tickets, yet the party leader has been on record saying there will be very credible and fair party nominations and there are no direct tickets,” she challenged.

In her parting remarks, Moraa called on young Kenyans to take concrete political action in order to change the leadership.

“The young people should register as voters with the IEBC because kura yetu ni sauti yetu and that will be the only way to change the leadership. I also encourage them to join our party, which is the DCP party, and be members of our party because we like welcoming people, and especially the young people and women,” she said.

Speaking in her capacity as the national vice chair for Warembo na DCP, Moraa extended a special invitation to women.

“So as also the national vice chair for Warembo na DCP, I’m also here to encourage women to join our party because it is a women friendly party. So I’m also here to say this, even to tell my fellow panelists here, actually the problem of this country is not DCP party or Rigathi Gachagua because those two entities have become very easy for bashing at the expense of masking the failures of the current regime and the president,” she declared.

In her most pointed critique, Moraa urged Kenyans to redirect their focus from convenient targets to substantive issues.

“So the problem is the economy of this country and the problem is the leader of this country. So know the right target to hit,” she concluded, leaving no doubt about where she believes accountability should lie.