- The DP has been forced to team up with small parties in a bid to defeat Raila.
- The President had siganalled that he has no problem with small parties in Mt Kenya.
Image: William Ruto/Twitter
A spirited campaign by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM boss Raila Odinga to form a broad-based alliance has forced DP William Ruto to embrace small outfits.
The Star has established Ruto is set to put pen to paper with nearly seven parties as he seeks to build a bigger machine to counter Raila’s Azimio Coalition of more than a dozen parties.
During Tuesday’s United Democratic Alliance delegates convention Ruto received mandate from the party’s supreme organ to enter into coalitions or mergers.
Initially, Ruto had taken a strong position against forming a coalition with other parties, triggering a falling out that saw his key Mt Kenya allies bolt out of the hustler nation.
However, after the enactment of the Political Parties act-a legislation he bitterly opposed-the DP has backtracked and now wants to craft a giant Kenya Kwanza coalition to face Raila.
On Tuesday, Ruto paraded new parties in his fold including Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi, Tujibebe Wakenya of William Kabogo and Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party.
Jimmy Wanjigi’s Safina Party and Chama Cha Mashinani of former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto are also lined up to ink a coalition deal with Ruto.
The parties are expected to join Ruto’s UDA, Ford Kenya of Moses Wetangula and Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC in the Kenya Kwanza.
Migori governor Okoth Obado’s PDP is also said to be headed to Kenya Kwanza.
On Thursday, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua a key Ruto ally confirmed that discussions are almost at the tail end that will result in the ‘unveiling of a giant movement.”
The MP, who had previously dismissed Ruto’s UDA forming a coalition, said they welcome all the parties that want to work with the Deputy President.
“We are ready to work with every political party that wants to support deputy president William Ruto, discussions are ongoing about the framework of our working arrangement,” said Gachagua.
The coalition is expected to be unveiled at a mega jamboree in Nairobi that will bring together delegates from all the partner parties within the next two weeks.
It would be during the joint delegates convention that Ruto will officially be crowned as the Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate and also unveiled his running mate.
To show his commitment to work with small parties, Ruto will be attending various national delegates conventions by allied parties including CCK, Tujibebe and Safina next week.
CCK was forced to postpone its event from Tuesday to next week to enable Ruto and his team to attend.
Kabogo, former Kiambu governor, on Tuesday, invited deputy president to the party national convention slated for this month.
Speaking to The Star on Thursday, The Service Party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri said that negotiations on a coalition with Kenya Kwanza are ongoing before a deal is signed.
“It's too early to state that we have signed any deal but what stands out is that TSP and other parties are supporting DP Ruto and everyone is aware that we are not in Azimio and this is the most important thing,” Kiunjuri said.
During the NDC for Ruto’s UDA party, delegates approved a resolution to mandate Ruto to enter into coalitions or mergers ahead of the general election as the DP embraced other parties.
Initially, the DP’s camp was categorial that only Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC and Moses Wetangula’s Ford Kenya would be given preferential treatment for a coalition.
However, the DP has made a haste retreat and is now embracing small parties, especially from Kenyatta’s Mt Kenya backyard ahead of the polls.
Kenyatta had during a meeting with Mt Kenya leaders last month said he has no problem with small parties and that leaders should work together to stop those dividing them.
While some party officials in Ruto’s camp claimed that there is no hurry in signing the agreement, the law requires that coalitions to deposit agreements with the registrar of parties by April 9.
Presidential candidates must also name their running mates, at least four months to the August general election.
Kiunjuri said TSP is not after positions but stitching together a campaign machine that will vanquish Raila.
“We are focused on strengthening the deputy president’s bid,” he said.
Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi secretary-general Kimani Nage said that the party hasn’t yet signed any agreement as to its “too early.”
“There is nothing to hurry and since our leader endorsed Ruto during their NDC, there is nothing to worry about, ‘he said.
The official revealed that the coalition details with UDA will be made public by mid next month.
Safina party secretary-general John Wamagana, however, denied that they will sign a deal with Ruto saying Wanjigi is the party’s presidential candidate.
Ironically, Wanjigi on Tuesday left no doubt that he could back Ruto’s presidential bid.
“We as Safina party we are supporting Jimmy Wanjigi as our candidate and thus we aren’t signing any pact with William Ruto,” said Wamagana.
Wamagana said that deputy president William Ruto will grace their national delegates’ conference on Monday at Bomas of Kenya.
Kabogo said his party fully supports Ruto’s Presidential bid.
“Tujibebe party won’t have a presidential candidate and we are supporting William Ruto up to the core and nothing will prevent us,’ Kabogo said.
The Star understands that the Kenya Kwanza alliance has lined up a series of events, especially from the Mount Kenya region.
On Saturday, the DP is expected to have a mega rally at Ihura Stadium in Murang’a County.