UDF official asks Khalwale to quit and seek fresh mandate

Interim UDF Secretary-General Justus Kizito has asked Senator Boni Khalwale to quit the party.

Mr Kizito has asked Dr Khalwale seek re-election on a different party ticket instead of staying put and criticising the leadership.

He accused Dr Khalwale of showing disrespect to UDF leader Musalia Mudavadi and undermining the party.

“The time has come for Senator Khalwale to make up his mind to join ODM and seek re-election instead of attacking our party leader at funerals and scheming to undermine UDF,” he said Monday. 

Last week, there were fears that Mr Mudavadi could find himself without a party if his efforts to reconstitute the party's leadership to get rid of “rebels” led by chairman Hassan Osman failed.

Mr Kibisu Kabatesi, who is Mr Mudavadi’s private secretary, acknowledges that there were stronger forces outside the party that were pulling the strings with a view to edging the former deputy prime minister out of the party.

UDF is said to have been registered by people close to retired President Mwai Kibaki on hopes that President Uhuru Kenyatta would use it to run for presidency in 2013.

They, however, settled on Mr Mudavadi when Mr Kenyatta went for The National Alliance (TNA) party.

Last Sunday, Mr Mudavadi insisted that he was the United Democratic Forum party leader.

He said he was being fought because he was reorganising UDF to involve all members in decision-making.

Mr Mudavadi maintained that those opposed to the party's reorganisation wanted to hold onto party leadership positions without being subjected to elections.