GACHAGUA SAYS HE IS THE LEADER OF UDA

Deputy President William Ruto’s running mate Rigathi Gachagua now says that he is the current leader of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the Kenya Kwanza coalition and therefore not apologetic for campaigning for its candidates.

Speaking in an interview, the Mathira MP said that following his appointment to deputize DP Ruto in the State House race, he automatically assumed the position of UDA boss since the DP is the overall leader of Kenya Kwanza.

“William Ruto is the leader of Kenya Kwanza, we have other party leaders; Musalia Mudavadi is ANC so he talks for ANC within Kenya Kwanza, Wetangula talks for Ford Kenya, Kuria talks for Chama Cha Kazi, Kabogo for Tujibebe, Muturi talks for DP party…someone must talk for UDA within Kenya Kwanza, that is Rigathi Gachagua,” he told the Nation.

“I have no regrets…Ruto is the head of Kenya Kwanza and is the father figure of all the sister parties within Kenya Kwanza but the sister parties have leaders and by nomination now, I have become the leader of UDA within the KK formation.”

In regard to the recent altercation which ensued between Gachagua and William Kabogo over claims that he was drumming support for Kiambu UDA candidate Kimani Wamatangi, the Mathira MP insists that he has a right to campaign for the UDA candidate Wamatangi.

He argues that the strife within the coalition on the Kiambu governorship contest is due to the fact that competitors are aware the Mount Kenya region is a UDA stronghold.

“If I go to an area that is predominantly UDA, I have a responsibility to campaign for a UDA candidate but if I go to an area that is predominantly ANC, I campaign for Kenya Kwanza, those are political realities,’ he said.

He added: “Even when Mudavadi comes to Central Kenya, he doesn’t campaign for ANC, he campaigns for Kenya Kwanza because the reality on the ground is that Mt Kenya is UDA and that is why most of these gubernatorial candidates are not appreciated in the ground dynamics and therefore there was that kind of ranting because what they expected the ground to be was slightly different.”

This comes as the aspirants in the Kiambu race namely; Moses Kuria and Kabogo have been threatening to ditch the Kenya Kwanza outfit accusing the Mathira lawmaker of dictatorship in the party.

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