• Magara resigned days after former director of youth affairs in Ruto’s office Anthony Kibagendi decamped UDA for Raila’s ODM.
• Others who have left the DP-led party are Deputy Governor and Ruto’s close ally Joash Maangi, governor aspirant Racheal Otundo and Borabu MP aspirant Patrick Osero.
Image: ANGWENYI GICHANA
Deputy President William Ruto faces a headache in his effort to consolidate the Kisii region as high profile defections continue to rock UDA .
On Monday, UDA national treasurer Omingo Magara became the latest ranking official to decamp the party.
“After considerable reflections and consultations, I have concluded my political ambitions cannot be sufficiently addressed by the UDA party,” Magara, a former South Mugirango MP, said.
“I, therefore, immediately resign as a party member and as UDA treasurer.”
Magara, who was eyeing the Kisii governor seat on the UDA ticket, said he was still in the race but remained silent on the political vehicle he will board.
While he did not immediately disclose his next party, sources indicate he is headed to Raila’s Azimio coalition.
Magara resigned days after former director of youth affairs in Ruto’s office Anthony Kibagendi decamped UDA for Raila Odinga’s ODM.
Other leaders who have left the DP-led party are Kisii Deputy Governor and Ruto’s close ally Joash Maangi, Kisii Governor aspirant Racheal Otundo and Borabu parliamentary aspirant Patrick Osero.
Magara has been one of the Ruto's point men whom he banked on to box out Raila from the region.
His departure alongside others deals a blow to the DP, who will likely have to go back to the drawing board.
If he joins Azimio, he will bolster the ODM boss’s efforts to ring-fence the vote rich-region, where his party failed to secure a single parliamentary seat in the 2017 general election.
Nearly all the political bigwigs from the larger Kisii and Nyamira counties have thrown their weight behind Raila's presidential bid.
They include Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, an influential figure in the region, and immediate former Transport CAS Chris Obure.
Governors James Ongwae (Kisii), Amos Nyaribo (Nyamira), senators Sam Ongeri (Kisii) and Okong’o Omogeni (Nyamira) are also in Azimio.
Several MPs and the woman reps from the two counties have also rallied behind Raila.
Last year, ODM secured its only parliamentary seat after its candidate for Bonchari won the seat in a by-election, signalling Raila and ODM’s changing fortunes in the region.
Magara’s resignation came weeks after Nyaribari Chache MP Ezekiel Machogu joined the party.
Insiders say Magara was unhappy with the decision.
Party’s top honchos are said to have preferred Machogu to be the party’s flag bearer for the governor’s seat forcing Magara to quit.
Ruto’s key ally in Gusii, North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko, described the resignation of Magara as good riddance.
“We assessed his capacity to contest the governor seat and decided, he was bound to lose,” Nyamoko said.
“We settled on Machogu because is properly grounded and asked Magara to go for the Senate seat.”
Moments after Magara’s, resignation, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi said he bolted out of the party because he failed to embrace democracy.
“You wanted to be given a direct ticket, which is against our party norms. You denied the party a chance to conduct opinion polls,” Sudi posted on his Facebook page.
Magara said the decision to quit the party was heavy but said it was the people’s voice and "ultimately the voice of God".
Edited by Kiilu Damaris