- Reality seems to have dawned on Jubilee that they are gradually losing the plot.
- If UDA wins Kiambaa, that will be a serious demonstration that the Ruto-linked party is the outfit to watch.
The Kiambaa by-election seems to be a wake-up call for Jubilee Party.
The ruling party has in the past not shown seriousness in by-elections.
But in Kiambaa, the party has realised that the grassroots must be mobilised. The party faithful must go out to vote in large numbers.
Reality must have dawned on Jubilee that they are slowly losing the plot and that by continually losing by-elections, as we head into the 2022 General Election, they might lose ground.
With the trend of not taking by-elections seriously and not pulling out all the stops, losing Kiambaa will be a body blow to President Uhuru Kenyatta's party.
It will be a major indictment of the party chiefs and their strategy.
In fact, it will be sad confirmation that President Kenyatta is not concerned about securing the political future of a party he cobbled together with great fanfare in 2016.
On the part of UDA, they have demonstrated, from the time the party rebranded, and with the energy demonstrated by Deputy President William Ruto, that his heart is out of Jubilee. He is continually facing off with his boss.
There can only be one option for UDA — getting stronger.
UDA has registered its presence and demonstrated that it has the finances and organisation to match its huge ambitions.
In fact, as we headed into the general election in 2017, UDA did not have the political vim it is having today — of course it is a rebranded PDR — but they did not have that political muscle.
This means that there is somebody who is injecting much political capital and money into UDA.
To mount the kind of serious campaigns that UDA has been mounting in by-elections shows there is some seriousness behind it and also there is now a very firm competitive spirit within UDA.
If UDA wins Kiambaa, that will be a serious demonstration that it is the party to watch. It will have confirmed Ruto's sentiments that Jubilee does not matter to him.
The last time Jubilee seemed to matter to Ruto was during the Kibra by-election when he tried to fight for the soul of Jubilee.
The political analyst spoke to the Star