The newspapers on Sunday, January 18, covered an array of topics, with the situation in former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP party dominating the pages.
Source: UGC
Elsewhere, the newspapers covered the government’s strategy to ensure 100% admission of Grade 10 learners.
1. Sunday Nation
The newspaper covered the happenings in the Rigathi Gachagua-led DCP party, where members are said to be planning exits.
Gachagua, according to Sunday Nation, appears to be facing a wave of defections from his supporters, a situation that political analysts warn could undermine the gains he has made in the past year.
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His detractors, many of whom are returning to President William Ruto, say Gachagua and his DCP party have been making their job difficult by putting them in direct conflict with the current government.
For his part, Gachagua claims those defecting are people seeking their personal and financial interests through Ruto’s strategy to ensure he remains in power until 2027.
However, many of his critics portray him as a politically unattractive leader with no long-term strategy.
For someone who was ousted as deputy president in October 2024, after serving for only two years, his refusal to fade away politically has surprised many, earning him a key position at the table determining the future of national politics.
After his ouster, Gachagua founded the DCP, built it into a solid party structure and emerged as one of the people who could determine the direction of the 2027 general elections.
However, along the way, he has been losing supporters one by one, the latest being Juja MP, George Koimburi.
Apart from Koimburi, others who have deserted him from his Mt Kenya stronghold include Maragua MP Mary wa Maua, Kangema MP Peter Kihungi, Runyenjes MP Muchangi Karemba, Githunguri MP Gathoni wa Muchomba, Embu Women Representative Njoki Njeru, among several others.
Given the pace of his allies’ departures, January looks set to be a difficult month for Gachagua.
According to Sunday Nation, two of Gachagua’s party’s top leaders have already changed their political course, and it is only a matter of time before they officially announce their decision.
One has scheduled a press conference on Monday, January 19, while the other is expected to meet Ruto at State House at 6 pm that same day.
The two had a bitter feud with the president after the Gen Z revolution, and their return will prove that in politics, interests rule.
However, some of the defectors say the problem is not just external pressure but also Gachagua’s own behaviour.
Koimburi, for example, claims that the DCP has become a dictatorial party that sells election tickets by auction.
“Gachagua and DCP represent racism and fraud. The party received Sh5 million from another candidate to throw me out of Juja. The 2027 tickets are being sold to the highest bidder,” said Koimburi.
Gachagua ignored the MP, saying he wanted to be favoured by being given a direct ticket for the 2027 general election, a claim the party rejected.
2. Taifa Jumapili
The newspaper reported on the government’s move to ensure 100% Grade 10 transition.
Between 300,000 and 500,000 Grade 10 learners have not yet reported to their senior secondary schools, with the Ministry of Education launching a special audit to identify those who have not started their studies.
According to the ministry, officials from each area, including chiefs, will visit families to identify the reasons why some children are not attending school and find better ways to help them.
“The transition process to senior secondary will be fully implemented, with the ministry aiming to reach 100%. Next week, officials will collaborate with the Ministry of Interior so that chiefs and area administrators can visit students’ homes to identify the reasons for not reporting to school and devise ways to help them,” Education CS Julius Ogamba said in an interview with Taifa Jumapili.
The Ministry of Education has clarified that the current figures appearing on the online secondary school registration system do not reflect the full number of students registered, as schools are still uploading records from face-to-face registration.
Ogamba said that although the online system shows some schools with a low number of students, in reality the number of students attending classes is much higher.
“Students are still reporting. As of last night, 550,000 students had already been entered into the system, and we were waiting for the two areas to enter their figures. Face-to-face registration is higher than the figures appearing on the system,” he said.
He added that in many cases, students have already been admitted to the school, received introductory training and started their studies, but their information has not yet been fully entered into the system due to network challenges in some schools.
The ministry also addressed the issue of underserved schools, saying that some institutions have low enrolments due to a lack of demand.
The CS also announced that the ministry has extended the registration period for students joining Grade 10 until next Wednesday, with the aim of achieving 100% enrolment and ensuring that no student is left behind, while the assessment is ongoing and some areas are experiencing delays in uploading reports.
3. Sunday Standard
The newspaper spared space for the elections in Uganda, whose climax was the declaration of President Yoweri Museveni’s win.
Museveni was declared the winner of Uganda’s presidential election, securing a seventh term in office and extending his rule to more than four decades.
The announcement, made on Saturday, January 17, reaffirmed the veteran leader’s dominance in a political environment marked by tight security controls and an internet shutdown.
According to figures released by the Electoral Commission, Museveni won the January 15 poll with 7,944,772 votes, representing 71.61% of the valid ballots. His closest rival, National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, came second with 2,741,238 votes, or 24.72%.
The outcome highlighted once again the difficulty faced by opposition candidates in challenging a president who has been in power since 1986.
The declaration was made at the National Tallying Centre by Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama, who explained that the announcement was the final declaration of the presidential results in line with the Ugandan constitution and the Presidential Elections Act.
Byabakama noted that the tally covered votes cast at 50,739 polling stations across the country, with 21,649,067 Ugandans registered to vote.
He added that a total of 11,366,201 ballots were cast, reflecting a turnout of 52.50%, and that 275,353 of these were invalid, accounting for 2.42% of the total.
Museveni surpassed the constitutional requirement by securing more than half of all valid votes, confirming him as president-elect.
Byabakama further stated that candidate Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni had obtained the highest number of votes and more than 50% of the valid ballots, and was therefore officially declared the winner.
He emphasised that voting had been completed and results lawfully tallied in accordance with the constitution and the Presidential Elections Act.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
