National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale has said they decided to form URP after finding ODM membership untenable.
Duale told URP democrats at Kasarani in Nairobi on Thursday that they left the party after top leaders neglected their agenda.
"DP William Ruto and I
quickly learnt that ODM’s top leadership had ideas other than the ideals we had forged together and agreed on," he said.
Duale said they became "marked men" instead of being patted on the back and being awarded for exceptional performance.
"Ironically, our exemplary performance was not attracting praise but ridicule and condemnation," he said.
He said
detractors within the party, who "we initially perceived to be our brothers and sisters", actively frustrated their efforts.
The majority leader, who is Garissa Town MP, said when the ODM door was shut firmly, they looked for an alternative avenue through which they would serve Kenyans unfettered.
"We formed the United Republican Party. This was our new channel from where we would continue the grand project of uniting Kenyans and transforming their living standards," he said.
Duale said URP vowed to never again let Kenya travel down the bloody path that followed the disputed 2017 general election.
"We vowed to make every sacrifice to bring Kenyans together, dissolve our differences once and for all and
bury
down hate, bigotry and prejudices," he said.
He noted that during Ruto's ICC case, President Uhuru Kenyatta stood by him showing the strong bond that the two have developed.
Duale said after they left ODM, it became a "hollow outfit" that had completely lost touch with the people.
"It was such good riddance, I tell you.
We vowed to soldier on despite all the setbacks because we knew what we wanted for our country and our people," he said.
Read:
The MP called on URP delegates to support the merger that URP is entering with other parties.
“URP is not dissolving, what we are doing is merging with other like-minded parties to form one party, Jubilee,” he said.
He asked the opposition to follow suite and form one party to unite the country ahead of the next poll.