Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has taken a hard-line stance against fringe parties in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, claiming they are being mistreated in downstream contests.
UDA chairman Johnson Muthama told the Nation on May 26, 2022, that affiliate parties fielding candidates against UDA at the parliamentary and county level should not expect any favors.
Aspirants from other parties affiliated with Kenya Kwanza, including Musalia Mudavadi's ANC and Moses Wetang'ula's Ford Kenya, have complained of discrimination, saying they are not being allowed to address Dr. Ruto's campaign rallies in their constituencies unlike their UDA rivals.
Mr. Muthama stated that the agreement with parties in the alliance is based only on supporting Dr. Ruto's State House bid, not on supporting each other's candidates.
Our coalition is based on supporting the presidential candidate. It is not based on supporting each other's candidates, said Mr. Muthama.
He added that the parties are free to hold their rallies and use Dr. Ruto's picture on their campaign posters, but should not expect UDA to withdraw support for its own candidates.
During the recent political tours, aspirants sponsored by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria's Chama cha Kazi (CCK), The Service Party (TSP), National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi's Democratic Party, and former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera's Farmers' Party expressed frustrations after the UDA team campaigned for their candidates and denied others the opportunity to address the rallies.
Mr. Nyakera, who is vying for Murang'a governor, said he and the Farmers Party fraternity took great exception to the campaigns that UDA has launched in Mt. Kenya advising its supporters to vote six-piece in favor of its aspirants.
Mr. Nyakera warned UDA that it risked sabotaging Dr. Ruto's chances of winning nationally if it continued with that line of campaigns.
Dr. Ruto faces tough choices in Mt. Kenya, with aspirants from as many as five affiliate parties contesting a single seat.
