William Ruto has adopted a strategy of working with smaller parties without demanding they fold ahead of the 2022 General Election.
The Jubilee party deputy leader who has not hidden the fact he is affiliated to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), is busy building his strategy to win the 2022 presidential election.
Kivumbi.co.ke understands UDA seeks to ride in each member party’s regional dominance in order to increase its chances of having many MPs in Parliament after 2022, a crucial requirement for any party which aspires to be big.
A source within the party has been quoted saying the strategy seeks to make UDA the most popular party by 2022.
Some of the smaller parties who are already in the UDA fold include the People’s Empowerment Party owned by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, The Service Part (TSP) owned by former agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri.
UDA is also working with Peoples Democratic Party PDP owned by former MP Omingo Magara as well as Chama Cha Mashinani of ex-Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto.
In the recent by-elections in Juja and Bonchari parliamentary seats, UDA threw its weight behind candidates from these smaller parties, coming third in Bonchari and winning the Juja seat by beating ruling party Jubilee.
Moses Kuria recently revealed William Ruto partly bankrolled the Juja by-election, a clear sign the deputy president’s strategy of working with smaller parties without asking them to fold is bearing fruits.
In the upcoming Kiambaa by-election, Ruto had to intervene and ask Moses Kuria’s party to drop his candidate and support a UDA candidate so as to increase chances of winning the seat.
It is believed that by working with smaller parties that have considerable regional support, Ruto will boost voter turn-out in 2022 to his advantage.
UDA party secretary general Veronica Main is on record saying the party has no intention of compelling parties to merge ahea do of 2022.
Interestingly, Ruto was a strong advocate of merging parties in the run up to 2017 General Election where they formed the Jubilee party alongside Uhuru.
The former Eldoret North MP folded his owne United Republican Party while Uhuru Kenyatta folded The National Alliance as they were joined by other smaller parties.
It appears the deputy president has learnt some tough lessons especially his fallout with top officials within the Jubilee party.
“The party has been hijacked by brokers who are running it through fear. Their word is the party position. The same virus that infected KANU and killed it after the 2002 elections has come to Jubilee,” Ruto previously lamented on the situation at the Jubilee party.
He went on to liken the situation in the Jubilee party to how KANU, which he was part of in 2002 General Election, found itself with more people outside it than inside.
In a recent televised interview, Ruto said if the Jubilee party fails to hand him the presidential ticket, he would use UDA as his vehicle.
