Unease over party elections sparks fierce battles in UDA

Planned grassroots elections by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have triggered internal turmoil with a high risk of implosion in the ruling party should its leader, President William Ruto, fail to intervene in time.

A petition seeking to restrain Secretary-General Cleophas Malala from overseeing the process has been filed at UDA’s Dispute Resolution Committee by Senate Majority Leader Boni Khalwale and another petitioner over alleged plans to manipulate the December 9 party primaries.

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa is also calling for the UDA National Executive Council (NEC) to dismiss Mr Malala over claims of working with opponents to rock the Kenya Kwanza Alliance from within by antagonising affiliate parties. 

In Marsabit County, ward reps want Dr Ruto to intervene and curb “external interference” into matters concerning the leadership of the county assembly.

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They said the wrangles could spill over to the planned party elections should the President fail to intervene. Similar wrangles and supremacy battles are also looming large among party officials in Mombasa and Isiolo counties. 

In Mt Kenya, the President is confronted with the political interests of his deputy, Mr Rigathi Gachagua, whose primary focus in the December polls will be to plant his loyalists in key decision-making organs. This would help him avoid a scenario of being kicked out of the party as it happened to Dr Ruto in Jubilee following his fallout with the retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Factions have since emerged in the region with some politicians leaning towards President Ruto and others coalescing around Mr Gachagua.

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Dr Khalwale and Mr Walter Trenk, in their petition, have accused Mr Malala of appointing his cronies as officials to oversee the elections. Mr Malala, the duo claim, has overstepped his mandate and usurped powers of the National Elections Board in order to compromise the elections.

“The petitioners are apprehensive that the respondent will continue taking advantage of his position to exploit the situation that would be beneficial to him to the detriment of the petitioners and other party members,” they say in their petition.

The two described Mr Malala’s decision to appoint regional and county managers as a clear conflict of interests since he is a contestant in the forthcoming polls.

In Marsabit County, MCAs have accused Mr Malala of making changes in the assembly leadership without consulting them.

A letter by Leader of Minority Amos Guyo laid bare the simmering tensions over the appointment of Deputy Minority Whip Halkano Konso to the County Assembly Service Board as a member. Mr Guyo said Mr Konso was appointed to represent the party in the board on July 14, 2023 without consulting the party’s leadership at the assembly.

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“Whereas we appreciate that the appointing authority is the party/coalition, we are finding it unpalatable that such appointments are made outside consultation and in disregard of internal party democracy,” said Mr Guyo in a letter dated July 18.

A meeting held at UDA headquarters had unanimously settled on Mr John Huka to sit in the board. Yesterday, Mr Guyo asked the President to intervene before it is too late.

Mr Malala yesterday did not respond to our queries over accusations. But in a recent interview with Nation, he had said the party was pulling all the stops to ensure the polls were free and fair.

Senior UDA officials yesterday told Nation that the party was keen to avoid any fallout. They added that holding the elections early was to have enough time to deal with wounds stemming from the party primaries.

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