Ugenya MP David Ochieng's MDG party dumps Azimio for Kenya Kwanza

Ugenya MP David Ochieng and his Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) party on Friday ditched the Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition for President-elect William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance.

Ruto made the announcement as he and his Kenya Kwanza team welcomed the party members at his Karen residence in Nairobi.

“Kenya Kwanza is delighted to welcome the Movement for Democracy and Growth to the alliance. We are committed to partnerships that help us build one Nation for the prosperity of all Kenyans,” Ruto wrote on Twitter.

The UDA boss further lauded the party, which hails from the Nyanza region perceived to be Odinga’s backyard, saying it will serve as a uniting factor to shun divisive politics of ethnicity in the country.

“I wish to welcome MDG joining Kenya Kwanza, we have already signed an agreement. I am delighted to welcome MDG to the Kenya Kwanza fraternity. It is historic because this is a party formally from the former Nyanza region, and we are looking forward to forging the necessary partnership,” Ruto said in an address to the press.

“Going into the future, we can mainstream the people of Nyanza in working with the rest of Kenya to build politics devoid of ethnicity, and unnecessary conflict and ensuring we build the current momentum where Kenyans have made a decision to get rid of ethnicity hate amongst people of Kenya.”

MP Ochieng, on his part, said the party had reached the decision following consultations on moving the country forward, adding that Kenya Kwanza's manifesto aligns with their plans for Kenyans.

“We are very happy to be here, and MDG is the part of the jigsaw puzzle that is missing in your matrix to govern the country, and it is going to be smooth now going forward,” he stated.

“We believe that most of the things in our manifesto that we would want done to make living in this country bearable for our people lie in the heart of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.”

The move follows similar defections from Azimio affiliate parties such as Muungano party leader Prof Kivutha Kibwana and Mandera Senator-elect Ali Roba’s United Democratic Movement (UDM) party which decamped to Kenya Kwanza last week.

Azimio has since chastised Ruto over what it termed as the illegal wooing of its coalition party members to Kenya Kwanza fold without following due process.