UGM party joins UDA in taming ODM popularity in Homa Bay

Scramble for support among the political parties is gaining momentum in Homa Bay after the United Green Movement (UGM) party entered the ring.

UGM entered the arena on Tuesday after it started electing the party officials together with membership registration from seven wards in the Ndhiwa constituency.

Its activities are similar to what the ruling party United Democratic Party (UDA) is currently undertaking in the county.

Homa Bay has been dominated by ODM since the 2007 general elections. The majority of residents have been supporting ODM leader Raila Odinga.

As they undertake registration and election exercises, UGM officials led by former Ndhiwa MP Agostino Neto said they are providing an alternative political voice to residents.

Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) managed to clinch Ugenya parliamentary seat after the election of David Ochieng’.

Through the election of officials and registration of members, UGM is beginning to put its structures in place to compete with other political parties in the 2027 general election.

Neto said the party wants to entrench the activities at the grassroots. The party elected officials at the branch and in all seven wards in the Ndhiwa constituency.

“UGM is undertaking elections in a different manner where a single position is held by a man and a woman. This promotes equality devoid of any discrimination,” Neto said.

The elections were presided over by a member of the party elections board Aden Bute.

In the elections, former chairperson of Homa Bay County Council Dorcas Matunga and former Kanyikela Councilor Daniel Nyambero were elected the co-chairpersons of the party in the Ndhiwa constituency.

The remaining positions were occupied by a male and female counterpart.

Speaking in Ndhiwa town during the elections, Neto said they are undertaking the exercises to strengthen the party not only in Homa Bay but in entire Kenya.

“UGM exists in 37 counties in Kenya and we’re doing grass root elections to strengthen it. We want to have a stronghold here,” Neto said.

The next constituency where the elections have been scheduled is Kabondo Kasipul.

Neto said their objective is to provide Nyanza residents with an alternative avenue through which they can elect various leaders.

He urged Nyanza residents to accept multi-party democracy whose proponents trace their roots in the region.

“We asked Nyanza people to join UGM as an alternative party. We’re going to field candidates in various elective seats,” Neto said.

Matunga said they are going to work hard in ensuring UGM gets as many members as possible.

“Big political parties started the way we have begun. We’re putting modalities to ensure UGM achieves the desired popularity in Homa Bay,” Matunga said.

Nyambero urged residents to cooperate in strengthening the new party. He said registrations are ongoing in all wards across the county.

“This party is ours and a time has come for us to take a paradigm shift in politics,” Nyambero said.