Bishop Margaret Wanjiru to fly UDA party ticket in Nairobi gubernatorial by-election

The newly registered United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, which has been linked to Deputy President William Ruto, on Friday issued nomination certificates to candidates ahead of the various by-elections during its official launch.

Bishop Margaret Wanjiru will fly the party’s ticket in the Nairobi gubernatorial by-election, whose validity however still remains in limbo following a recent court order suspending it thereby triggering a series of events including the scheduled vetting of Anne Kananu Mwenda as deputy governor and possible ascension to the governor’s seat.

Alex Kanya will fly the UDA flag in the Matungu constituency by-election while Evans Kakai will contest on the party ticket in Kabuchai constituency.

Party Chairman Johnson Muthama, addressing the press during the event, said the party is not new to Kenyans but has rather just been rebranded.

Muthama said the party members, having belonged to various political outfits in the past, felt they were not moving in the right direction hence felt it was time to start their own journey.

“There’s nothing strange with what we’re doing, many of us have been in different political parties and coalitions. Some could not manage to get us where we wanted to go, so there’s a beginning and an end to everything. We realized that we needed a more open, democratic vehicle that will be different from all other political parties that we have witnessed before,” said the former Machakos Senator.

“And for that reason many of us sat down, where the whole country was represented, and at the end of the day by looking at things we all decided that probably the more democratic party that did not carry tribal inclinations was PDR. And then we said that because PDR has been in existence and in coalition with Jubilee, which remains the same, we decided to change the name and we came up with UDA.”

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, on his part, reiterated that UDA – and by extension its members – still remain a part of the Jubilee Party, stating that “nyumba ya baba yako inaweza kuwa na rooms mingi…UDA ni room ingine tu kwa nyumba ya Jubilee.”

“We do not fear competition, we have a candidate here in Margaret Wanjiru…we win or we lose, that is democracy…but let us not bend the rules so that we can avoid competition, we’re ready,” said Murkomen.

Bishop Wanjiru expressed confidence at clinching the seat, telling the people of Nairobi to remain hopeful even as the court processes unfold.

“Leo imekuwa siku njema sana, nimeweza kupata certificate yangu ya nomination pamoja na kuzindua chama chetu cha UDA ambayo itasaidia watu wengi kuinuka kisiasa. Tunamshukuru Mungu, tunajua kuna makesi kortini lakini tunatarajia Mungu atatupatia ushindi. Na nataka kuwaambia watu wa Nairobi musife moyo, hii ushindi ni wetu,” she said.

MIPANGO YA UDA
Chama cha United Democratic Alliance (UDA) chatangaza mikakati
UDA itashiriki chaguzi za maeneo bunge ya Kabuchai,Matungu na useneta Machakos
Margaret Wanjiru indiye mgombea wa ugavana Nairobi
Chama hicho kinashabikiwa na wandani wa naibu rais Ruto#SemaNaCitizen pic.twitter.com/zwxtYzSSC6

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 8, 2021