UDA Grassroot elections
The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has conducted the first ever historic electronic grassroots elections that will make or break the party’s cohesion.
The party’s elections is also Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s acid test as he seeks to take charge of the party’s influence in a replica of President William Ruto strategy that he used to take over the former ruling Jubilee party in April 2016 when his foot soldiers were voted in to spearhead the party elections that saw only his lieutenants clinching the much-coveted party tickets.
The second in command has been the face of the UDA elections and has conducted many party meetings in readiness of the grassroots elections which has attracted 18100 aspirants who will participate in the elections.
On April 10, Gachagua held talks with the party’s leadership in what he described as a follow up of the President’s meeting a week before to assess the party’s preparedness for the elections.
The meeting attended by the UDA National Steering Committee (NSC) including party Chairperson Cecily Mbarire, Secretary General Cleophas Malala, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw’ah, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, Vice-Chairperson Hassan Omar, Treasurer Japheth Nyakundi among other senior party officials.
Gachagua said the meeting was founded on consultative and collaborative engagements geared at strengthening the party and solidifying the resolve to fully implement the UDA Manifesto.
On Wednesday night, the UDA’s Deputy party leader held yet another meeting at his official residence with party officials; Mbarire, Malala, Omar, Organizing Secretary Vincent Musyoka Kawaya, Treasurer Japheth Nyakundi, Executive Director Nicodemus Bore among other senior officials.
Gachagua’s many meetings come at a time when one of his strongest allies, the MP for Embakasi North James Gakuya has declared to face off with Nairobi Governor Johnstone Sakaja in the Nairobi UDA chairmanship.
Those against Sakaja’s bid accuse him of forgetting the interests of the Gema community that overwhelmingly voted for him, but he abandoned them and decided to work with the Opposition.
At the heart of the claims against Sakaja is the city appointments towards the Agikuyu community, and the tiff between him and Gachagua witnessed last year after the latter urged the public service vehicles drivers to disregard the decision to remove them from the CBD in a plan to decongest the city.
When Sakaja vowed to implement his decision Gachagua threatened that he could ask the electorate not to reelect him but after the push and pull the governor abandoned his ambitious plan.
Gakuya has been taking advantage of the crosshairs between Sakaja and the City MPs to seek their support and has so received a backing from Nominated Senators Tabitha Munene, Karen Nyam, former Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga and a host of MPs from Mt Kenya region led by Njoroge Wainaina (Kieni) who has been accompanying him in his meetings.
On Wednesday, Gakuya held meetings with UDA MCAs in Nairobi among other leaders who pledged to support his bid for chairmanship claiming Sakaja has so many things in-tray that needed his focus and attention.
However, Sakaja has vowed to stay put and continue with his bid which he said is aimed at strengthening the party’s presence in Nairobi and dismissed claims of abandoning the Agikuyu community.
“I decided to vie for the chairmanship because I feel our party perfumed dismally in the last elections, out of 17 MPs we only got four while we got 35 MCAs out of 85 and we did not clinch Senatorial and the Women Representative position, we have to sit and agree on how to strengthen the party,” he said.
On the perception that he was at war with the Agikuyu community, Sakaja told Inooro tv that ‘Such a discussion will only take us back to dirty politics because the community has suffered immensely due to such talk and when we start profiling the community in terms of ethnicity, it is the Agikuyu community that stands to suffer.”
The grassroots elections, according to the National Elections Board chairperson, Antony Mwaura, saw 20 officials being elected on the seven positions which include three religious group representatives, four professional representatives, three farmers’ representatives, one member representing the Special Interests Groups (SIG) four youth representatives, three representatives of medium and small enterprises and two members representing gender.
The grassroots elections was held in Nairobi, Homabay, Narok Busia and WEST Pokot while the second phase expected to be held in June for the 13 counties including Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kisii, Bungoma, Siaya, Taita Taveta, Wajir, Tana River, Kwale and Marsabit.
For the third phase, the elections will be in the following 15 counties on August 10, 2024; Kiambu, Embu, Kericho, Meru, Migori, Kakamega, Nyamira, Kitui, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Kajiado, Mandera, Kilifi, Murang’a and Lamu.
The last phase will take place on August 24, 2024 in 12 counties; Nakuru, Bomet, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nandi, Baringo, Turkana, Laikipia, Trans-Nzoia, Kisumu, Vihiga and Makueni.
During the elections claims of rigging, technological hitch and delays of elections materials as a result of rainfall was reported with the party being forced to airlift the voting materials in counties such as Narok and West Pokot Counties.