It appears all is not well in Deputy President William Ruto’s campaign machinery as the people perceived as his trusted foot soldiers have in recent days been reading from different scripts which they never did since the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) became the party of choice for Tanga Tanga Jubilee rebels
DP Ruto continues to receive blows in his efforts to strengthen UDA and its support in various parts of the country whereas his main rival ODM leader Raila Odinga continue to enjoy rising popularity in these areas.
Those who are perceived as his close allies have been issuing statements on social media that destroy rather than build the Wheelbarrow party’s presumed unity since it was formed.
Sources privy to the ongoings at the Hustler Center, the party’s headquarters say as we approach February 2022 when major political formations are expected to take shape tension is building within UDA especially on party nominations
“There are those who feel nominations are not going to be fairly conducted and have been overhead of opting to vie as independents. But the elephant in the room is the running mate question which most of those who have been promised the position want to know the criteria that will be used,” a reliable source told News Today.
What caught many UDA supporters and Kenyans by surprise is the latest warning by Nairobi-based lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi warning Deputy President William Ruto not to relax because their political rival Raila Odinga actually stands a chance of winning the presidency in 2022.
Citing the Jubilee resources that are available for Raila’s use in his presidential campaigns, Ahmednasir said it would be a fatal mistake to think that beating the ODM leader is impossible.
Taking to his Twitter, the vocal lawyer who leans towards Ruto’s camp urged the Tanga Tanga group not to view the gap between Ruto and Raila as a chance to relax but to keep soldiering on.
“I refuse to subscribe to the notion advanced by some in DP Ruto’s camp that just because the gap between Ruto’s estimated votes and that of Hon Raila is about three million the task facing Raila is hopeless! With the resources of my beloved Jubilee at his disposal, Raila has a fighting chance!” Ahmednasir tweeted on December 22.
As a pointer to a simmering tension within UDA, the party has in recent days suffered a string of losses.
As a sign all is not rosy in UDA, Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina WaJungle is said to have gone back to the drawing board on realizing that former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu aka Babayao has been receiving ‘special treatment’ from the party’s rank and file despite the legal hurdles he is facing over his anti-corruption cases before court.
In fact Waititu has gone ahead and procured campaign vehicles and sound systems complete with UDA colours and logo, an indication he is set to fight it out with Jungle in the nomination contest for the gubernatorial ticket.
Following the developments Jungle is said to have since gone mute on party affairs and word has it that he is on the verge of shifting his allegiance elsewhere.
It started with Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi who abandoned the party for Azimio La Umoja
A suspected move by UDA to deny Mr Maangi the ticket to run for governor is said to have been the source of his defection to the Azimio La Umoja coalition.
Maangi said he prefers Azimio la Umoja movement train to UDA camp which he now claims to be composed of reactionary leaders keen on fulfilling selfish interests
Already Migori Governor Okoth Obado has also denied support for the Deputy President’s bid to enter the State House in 2022. Obado says that he is currently working on his People’s Development Party (PDP).
Then enter Economists cum political analysts David Ndii who hit out at critics bashing UDA in a thinly veiled statement which observers said should have been handled as an internal party affair.
This came hot on the heels of some party elements saying there is a lot of hypocrisy within the party adding that the Deputy President is the most hypocritical leader within the party.
The man credited for UDA’s Bottom Up economic model tweeted “There is no hypocrisy in UDA. UDA is the face of Kenya, and Kenya is as corrupt as sin. The first step towards recovery from addiction is acceptance. That is why UDA is the most popular party in Kenya”.
His comment has made people believe that UDA will never fight corruption something that has scared Kenyans considering that corruption is blamed for all the ills facing the country.
