LIST OF ASPIRANTS SELECTED BY RUTO’S NEW PARTY UDA

United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a party associated with Deputy President William Ruto, on Friday unveiled candidates for the forthcoming senate, parliamentary and ward by-elections in the country.

Former Machakos Deputy Governor Benard Kiala will fly the UDA party ticket in the Machakos Senate by-election, former Kenya Revenue Authority board member Evans Kakai will fly the wheelbarrow party ticket in the Kabuchai Constituency seat while Alex Lanya will run for the Matungu parliamentary seat.

For Nairobi governor race, UDA unveiled former Assistant Minister Margaret Wanjiru while Nelson Kilele got the nod to fly the party ticket For Huruma Ward in Uasin Gishu county,

The party settled on Kiala after Deputy President and Muthama met the 15 aspirants seeking UDA ticket in the Machakos Senate by-election.

The meeting was also attended by MPs Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East), Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) and Vincent Musyoka.

“Our breakfast meeting primarily focused on the upcoming by-election. We have agreed as the ‘hustler nation’ that a scientific opinion poll shall be carried out and aspirants have collectively agreed to respect and support the will of the people,” he said.

Speaking while issuing the aspirants with certificates at the Hustler Centre in Nairobi, UDA chairman Johnson Muthama said they had settled on the unveiled candidates after a series of consultative meetings.

Muthama said the party has been in existence and that only the name has been changed from Party for Reforms and Development (PDR) to UDA.

“There is nothing strange with what we are doing, many of us have been in various parties and coalitions before but we didn’t achieve what we wanted and opted for a new outfit,” he said.

Muthama said the party is an inclusive outfit with representatives from all parts of the country

“We sat down with people from all parts of the country and settled on UDA as one of the most democratic parties in the country.

The function was attended by politicians allied to DP Ruto including Meru senator Mithika Linturi, his ELegoyo Marakwet counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen among a host of MPs.

The by-elections were occasioned by the deaths of Senator Bonface Kabaka (Machakos), MPs Justus Murunga (Matungu) and James Lusweti (Kabuchai).

The parliamentary and ward mini polls will be held on March 4, while the Machakos Senate by-election will be on March 18.

Nairobi governor by-election was slated for March 23 but could drag following court cases filed by former Governor Mike Sonko and the planned vetting of Anne Kananu who was nominated by Sonko before being blocked.

Ruto is building the newly formed party into a formidable political tool ahead of 2022 General Election after the wrangles that hit Jubilee after the Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Anne Nderitu, the Registrar of Political Parties, in a special gazette notice a week ago, had indicated that PDR was changing its name to UDA.

UDA was founded in 2012 by the current Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju – initially as the Party of Action (POA). It changed hands and rebranded to PDR.

By Standard Digital