Ruto tours South Rift amid fight to control UDA offices
Deputy President William Ruto starts his two-day tour of the South Rift region today amid a raging battle among local United Democratic Alliance (UDA) officials over the control of the party’s offices at the grassroots.
Governors, Members of Parliament and aspirants for various seats are embroiled in cloak-and-dagger schemes to impose their allies in the party’s regional offices in the hope of gaining a head-start in nominations.
The DP is expected to hold two rallies in Narok, where Governor Samuel Tunai and Woman Representative Soipan Kudate Tuiya at Olopita and Narok town will host him.
The DP will on Tuesday be hosted in Kericho County by Belgut MP Nelson Koech during the commissioning of Kesagetiet Primary School, before heading to Chebirbei Secondary School, and later meet Belgut Boda Boda Group members.
Konoin MP Brighton Yegon has been accused by his opponents of hijacking party offices, with Mr Benson Rono, who is hoping to unseat him, leading the onslaught. Rival camps were yesterday involved in a confrontation during the opening of UDA offices at Mogogosiek trading centre in Konoin Constituency.
The function was marred by acrimonious exchanges as rival camps traded accusations. Mr Yegon was forced to cut short his speech, with Mr Rono telling him: “We will not allow you to install your henchmen to run the party’s offices.”
But Mr Yegon accused his opponents of mobilising their supporters to disrupt the function. “It’s unfortunate that leaders who’re seeking elective position are engaged in inciting supporters to shout at elected leaders,” he said.
In Nakuru County, Senator Susan Kihika and Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri are embroiled in a battle for supremacy. Mr Ngunjiri has accused Ms Kihika of leading a team of former MCAs and councillors to the DP’s Karen residence in August and fronting them as UDA coordinators while leaving out elected leaders.
Ms Kihika mobilised leaders from Subukia, Rongai, Bahati, Naivasha, Nakuru Town East, Molo and Nakuru Town West constituencies to the DP’s residence to the chagrin of Mr Ngunjiri, who described them as “a bunch of election losers”.
They claimed the senator had “assembled former MCAs, whom she has picked to coordinate her gubernatorial campaigns and presented them before the DP as elected leaders and UDA grassroots leaders,” Mr Ngunjiri, UDA’s diaspora members’ patron, said.
“This will not be allowed to pass unchallenged,” he said of Ms Kihika’s approach that has isolated her from other leaders, including Molo MP Francis Kimani, who said he was not consulted on the meeting.
“It’s important that we bring everyone on board the UDA ship. We must ensure that everyone is on the round table in the spirit of inclusivity,” Ms Kihika said, who announced her intention to challenge current governor Lee Kinyanjui in next year’s polls.
In Uasin Gishu, the gubernatorial hopefuls—Soy MP Caleb Kositany, Nairobi County executive Vesca Kangogo Koech, Businessman Charles Kigen, Pakistan Ambassador Julius Bitok—are all eyeing the UDA ticket in the battle to succeed Governor Jackson Mandago.
The DP has repeatedly said UDA primaries will be free and fair to avert a fallout. “Even if it means repeating the primaries, we’ll do it to ensure the best candidate wins and delivers in the August, 9, 2022 poll,” he said.
Rival parties are understood to be closely monitoring the developments, hoping to cash in on a fallout in UDA. BY DAILY NATION
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