• He said the party pegs its principals on strict and fair nominations and as such there shall be no foul play in the process.
• The DP said the same goes for all other seats.
Image: WANGECHI WANG;ONDU
Deputy President William Ruto has said UDA nominations for the Kirinyaga governor race will be free and fair.
He said residents are the ones to dertemine the leader who shall fly the party's flag.
Ruto spoke in Kirinyaga county on Sunday.
He said the party pegs its principals on strict and fair nominations and as such there shall be no foul play in the process.
The DP said the same goes for all other seats.
His sentiments come in the wake of rivalry between Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and county Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici who both are eyeing the governor's seat on UDA ticket.
"I shall not influence the nominations. You are the people who have the power and the final say on who your preferred candidate is. If you are tasked in electing the president, will you be unable to accomplish this small task of electing your governor?" posed Ruto.
Waiguru and Ngirici mobilised hundreds of their supporters who brandished posters of their leaders of choice while chanting their slogans in all stopovers during Ruto's visit.
During his stopovers both Waiguru's and Ngirici's charged supporters heckled at their candidate's opponents.
Waiguru urged residents to maintain peace and refrain from being used by leaders to insult and cause chaos.
She further hailed Ruto's assurance of a free and fair nomination as she praised the bottom up economic model.
"We are behind the DP 's candidature for presidency in the upcoming elections. Similary, we are optimistic that Kirinyaga shall decide on a fair basis who shall be their next governor," she said.
Meanwhile, Ngirici praised UDA, saying she will continue to pledge loyalty to the party.
In addition, she praised the party while expressing optimism that it shall form the next government.
Her remarks come as she revealed she was learning vital lessons from the mistakes she has made in her political career.
Earlier, there was drama outside Kianyaga ACK church as Waiguru's and Ngirici's camps confronted one another.
It took the intervention of police officers to quell tension that was steadily building up before and after Ruto's arrival.
Political enmity between the two leaders was evident as they didn't even exchange pleasantries as they lined up to greet the DP.
Edited by CM