Officials of the Chama Cha Mashinani party headed by former Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto have said they will not dissolve the party to join UDA, but will back DP William Ruto for presidency.
Party leader Isaac Rutto chaired a meeting of top officials where it was decided that the party would only back the DP in next year’s presidential race but go it alone on all other matters, including fielding aspirants.
Acting Secretary General of Albert Kochei said the party decided to field candidates for all other positions except the presidency.
He said the party will also not enter into a coalition agreement with UDA because it stands for democracy and political freedom of all Kenyans.
DP Ruto has said all parties backing him must dissolve and join UDA.
“We are not going into a coalition arrangement with UDA or any other party. We will only support the DP for presidency because his hustler ideology resonates with what CCM has been pushing for which is empowerment of ordinary Kenyans,” Kochei said in Eldoret on Saturday.
Kochei said Kenya is a multi-party democracy and it will not be wise for anyone to force others into folding up political parties in a manner to return the country to one party dictatorship.
The CCM official also noted that Kenyans from respective regions were also using political parties as one way to hold the presidential aspirants accountable for what they promise.
“Kenyans have learned from what has happened concerning the formation of Jubilee and its current state. People don’t want to go back to the same style of doing things and that is why all parties will be active during the elections as bargaining avenues with various aspirants,” he said.
UDA is expected to be the most dominant party in the Rift Valley but Kanu and CCM are some of the other parties expected to challenge DP Ruto’s party in the region.
