Kadu Asili deputy party leader Daniel Mangi has refuted claims that the party has joined the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Speaking to the Star on Sunday, Mangi said the party is a member of the Ukombozi wa Mageuzi which brings together parties with roots from the Coast region.
Last week, Mangi and a section of the party's National Executive Council met Deputy President William Ruto and announced that they have reached a pact to work with Ruto.
Mangi, however, said the pact had not been sanctioned by the party.
“Legally a party cannot be a member of two coalitions and any reports of Kadu Asili joining Kenya Kwanza are untrue,” Mangi said.
Mangi said Nzai is deemed to have lost the party leader position after the defection.
“It is in our constitution that the gubernatorial candidate is our party leader and we had entrusted him with the position," he said.
"We feel betrayed but it is good he has demonstrated what kind of a leader he is."
Nzai was one of the front runners in the race to succeed Amason Kingi owing to his wealth of leadership skills.
Before joining Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani, Nzai served in the Vision 2030 delivery secretariat as the chief executive officer.
Nzai, who comes from the Chonyi subtribe of the Mijikenda, said he will end the dominance of the Giriama subtribe in Kilifi politics.
Nzai further said the party is still in discussion with the DP.
In the new arrangement, Nzai will not vie for the Kilifi governorship position but will instead deputise Aisha Jumwa in UDA.
“The Deputy president promised to support our party and made it clear that he would wish that we join his team," he said.
"I asked him to constitute a team from his side and we come up with a team from my side to discuss the matter.”
Meanwhile, Mangi also said the party has no affiliation to the Amidzi council of elders.
The elders accompanied Nzai to meet Ruto at his Karen home.
Umoja Summit Party of Kenya secretary general Naomi Cidi said the move had created confusion in the Ukombozi wa Mageuzi.
Cidi said Nzai was ignorant of the law.
“As Ukombozi wa Majimbo partners, Kadu Asili has never informed the other partners of this development. We are treating this as a one-man issue,” she said.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
