A storm is brewing at Deputy President William Ruto’s camp over individual party’s supporting United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the party he has said he will use to vie for the presidency in 2022.
While leaders allied to the UDA are pushing for The Service Party (TSP) and the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) to fold and form a formidable coalition with UDA, the outfits and a section of other leaders within the camp are against the move.
TSP is led by former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri while PEP is under the control of outspoken Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who have both indicated that they will support William Ruto’s quest for the presidency.
Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata, an ardent supporter of DP Ruto accused Kiunjuri and Kuria of forming regional parties to increase their negotiating powers for coalitions warning that the UDA party will not enter any coalition until after the 2022 General Election.
“Some of us strongly believe that forming a regional party purportedly to negotiate with DP Ruto is irrational; it does not make sense. We, as UDA, cannot talk of coalitions now. For me, coalitions should be post-election,” Kang’ata told the Daily Nation.
Kang’ata accused a section of the vote-rich Mt Kenya region that was pushing for the formation of a regional party. of selfishness
“I am aware of some Mt Kenya leaders saying they want a regional party. We from Murang’a do not subscribe to that,
“We want a unified party that brings everyone together to bring up all the people at the bottom of the pyramid, and that party is UDA,” he added
It is understood that the GEMA region which appears to be divided is heading into a General Election without a serious presidential candidate thus they need to have a regional party that they will use to increase their bargaining power so as to be part of a government that will be formed.
Kiunjuri on his part maintained that he cannot be pushed to fold his party just to prove he is loyal towards William Ruto’s camp because there are so many tricks that happen in political parties where people are literally plucked out of the contest.
“It is only a fool who will go into 2022 to be subjected to the tricks that happen during the nominations, where people were literally plucked out of the contest not by the power of the voters but by personalities seated in an office,” Kiunjuri said.
