Showdown Looms As Leaders Ditch Wetangula, CS Kuria for UDA
The ruling Kenya Kwanza is poised for a political confrontation following the departure of several leaders who were previously affiliated with the coalition’s affiliate parties in favor of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which is headed by President William Ruto.
UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that the ruling party was compelled to delay its grassroots elections to facilitate the induction of new members.
Chama Cha Kazi, commanded by Tourism CS Alfred Mutua, and Maendeleo ChapChap, under the leadership of Public Service CS Moses Kuria, are the parties most significantly impacted, according to Malala.
FORD-Kenya, led by the speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula, and the Amani National Congress (ANC), led by the prime cabinet secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, are two additional affected parties.
“We pushed ahead the UDA Party grassroots elections to accommodate new members joining the Party especially those officials from Chama cha Kazi, ChapChap, ANC, and Ford-Kenya to form one formidable Party,” read the statement issued by Malala.
The party issued a statement on Saturday, November 18th, wherein it changed the original date of party elections from December 2023 to April 2024.
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“Following a National Steering Council (NSC) meeting held on November 18, 2023, and chaired by the Party Leader William Ruto. The United Democratic Alliance party (UDA) wishes to notify all members and aspirants that the grassroots elections initially scheduled for December 9, 2023, have been postponed,” read a notice that Malala had shared in part.
“The elections will be staggered into three clusters, taking place on the 12th, 19th, and 26th of April 2024. A detailed schedule outlining county clusters will be released in due course.”
Nelson Koech, a member of parliament (MP) for Belgut, ascribed the postponement to the persistent El Nino rainfall the following day.
His position was that should the ruling party conduct the elections in December, its leaders would be exposed as insensitive, given that tens of thousands of its members reside in the regions impacted by the heavy rainfall.
“It will be very insensitive for us politicians to campaign against the backdrop of a nation that is suffering the effects of flooding and excess rainfall,” the lawmaker stated.
The commencement of member enrollment to UDA occurred in March 2023.
Showdown Looms As Leaders Ditch Wetangula, CS Kuria for UDA