In the run-up to the August 9, presidential election, former UDA vice-chairman Kipruto Arap Kirwa dumped William Ruto for opposition leader Raila Odinga.
While dumping President Ruto, the former Agriculture Minister claimed that by appointing businessman-cum politician Rigathi Gachagua as William Ruto’s 2022 presidential running mate, the UDA party lacked democracy.
Kirwa, further stated that he wanted to be part of the government that would be formed by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
“Two weeks ago, my side appointed the person who was going to be running mate of my brother, that was the clearest indication that there is no democracy,” Kirwa said in May.
However, on Monday, August 15, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukai declared William Ruto as the fifth president-elect.
As such, Kirwa who was speaking during an interview with K24 TV on Wednesday, December 13, said that he regrets the decision to dump William Ruto for Raila Odinga.
While terming Raila’s presidential loss to William Ruto as the ‘lowest point’ Kirwa said he was not shifting camps to be in the opposition adding that he joined Azimio hoping the former Prime Minister would win the polls.
“When I decamped from Kenya Kwanza, I was not decamping to join the opposition; I was hoping Azimio would make it to government, so it was the lowest point,” he said.
In the hotly contested presidential race, Raila lost to William Ruto with a smaller margin of fewer than 200,000 votes after polling 6.9 million votes against William Ruto’s 7.1 million.
Others who dumped William Ruto for Raila Odinga in the run-up to the August 9, elections over lack of democracy in the party include the then UDA National Party Treasurer Omingo Magara.
“For a long time, I have harbored an ambition to be the Kisii County Governor through the UDA party where I was also the national treasurer,” Magara said.
