Newspapers on Sunday, January 18, discussed various topics, while the situation in the DCP party of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua dominated the pages.
Source: UGC
Elsewhere, newspapers reported on the government’s strategy to ensure 100% enrollment of 10th graders.
1. Sunday Nation
The newspaper reported the events in the DCP party led by Rigathi Gachaguawhere the members are said to be planning to leave.
Gachagua, according to the Sunday Nation, appears to be facing a wave of rebellion from his supporters, a situation that political analysts warn could undermine the gains he made last year.
His opponents, most of whom return to the President William Rutothey say Gachagua and his DCP party have been making their job difficult by putting them in direct conflict with the current government.
On his part, Gachagua claims that those moving are people who seek 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 a man who was removed as vice president in October 2024, after serving just two years, his refusal to fade into politics has surprised many, giving him an important seat at the table that determines the future of national politics.
After his removal, Gachagua founded the DCP, built it into a solid party structure and emerged as one of the people who could decide the direction of the 2027 general election.
However, along the way, he has been losing supporters one by one, the latest being the Member of Parliament for Juja, George Koimburi.
In addition to Koimburi, others who have fled from his fortress Mount Kenya include Maragua Member of Parliament Mary wa Maua, Kangema Member of Parliament Peter Kihungi, Runyenjes Member of Parliament Muchangi Karemba, Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni of Muchomba, Embu Women’s Representative Njoki Njeru, among several others.
Considering the speed of departure of his partners, January seems to be a difficult month for Gachagua.
According to the Sunday Nation, the two main leaders of the Gachagua party have already changed their political direction, 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 the State House at 12pm on the 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 emigrants say that the problem is not only external pressure but also the behavior of Gachagua himself.
For example, Koimburi 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 oust me from Juja. The 2027 tickets are being sold to the highest bidder,” said Koimburi.
Gachagua ignored the MP, saying he wanted to be favored by being given a direct ticket for the 2027 general election, a claim that the party rejected.
2. National Sunday
The newspaper reported on the government’s move to ensure 100 percent passing of Class 10.
Between 300,000 and 500,000 Grade 10 students have not yet reported to their high 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 region, including chiefs, will visit families to determine the reasons why some children do not attend school and find better ways to help them.
“The process of transition to secondary school will be fully implemented, with the ministry aiming to reach 100%. Next week, officials will collaborate with the Ministry of the Interior so that chiefs and area managers can visit students’ homes to determine the reasons for not reporting to school and devise ways to help them,” Education Minister Julius Ogamba said in an interview with the Nation on Sunday.
The Ministry of Education has clarified that the current figures appearing on the online high school registration system do not reflect the full number of registered students, as schools are still uploading records from face-to-face registration.
Ogamba said that although the online system shows some schools with a small 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 sites to write their statistics. In-person registration is greater than the statistics that appear in the system,” he said.
He added that in many cases, students have already been accepted to school, received preliminary training and have started their studies, but their information has not yet been fully entered into the system due to internet challenges in some schools.
The ministry also addressed the issue of underserved schools, saying that some institutions have low enrollment due to lack of demand.
The minister also announced that the ministry has extended the registration period for students joining Grade 10 until next Wednesday, with the aim of achieving 100% enrollment and ensuring that no student is left behind, while the assessment continues and some areas are facing delays in uploading reports.
3. Sunday Standard
The newspaper allocated space for the elections in the country Ugandawhose climax was the announcement of the victory of President Yoweri Museveni.
Museveni was declared the winner of Uganda’s presidential election, winning a seventh term in power 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 filled with tight security controls and internet shutdowns.
According to figures released by the Electoral Commission, Museveni won the January 15 election with 7,944,772 votes, representing 71.61% of valid votes. His nearest rival, National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, came second with 2,741,238 votes, or 24.72%.
The results showed again the difficulty faced by the opposition candidates in opposing the president who has been in power since 1986.
The announcement was made at the National Vote Counting Center by the chairman of the Electoral Commission, Judge Simon Byabakama, who explained that the announcement was the final announcement of the presidential results according to the Ugandan constitution and the Presidential Election Act.
Byabakama noted that the calculation was about votes cast in 50,739 stations across the country, with 21,649,067 Ugandans registering to vote.
He added that a total of 11,366,201 votes were cast, showing a turnout of 52.50%, and that 275,353 of these were invalid, accounting for 2.42% of the total.
Museveni exceeded the constitutional requirement by obtaining more than half of all valid votes, confirming him as the elected president.
Byabakama further said that the candidate Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni got the highest number of votes with more than 50% of valid votes, and was therefore officially declared the winner.
He emphasized that the voting has been completed and the results have been legally calculated in accordance with the constitution and the Presidential Election Law.
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