Deputy President William Ruto on Sunday urged rivals Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and aspirant Purity Ngirici to fight fair and square, battling for the UDA governor's ticket.
The DP was visiting the county for the first time since Waiguru joined his camp a month ago on October 26.
I assure you the people will decide who will be given which ticket. But I emphasise our UDA will have free, fair, democratic and verifiable nominations. It is the people who will decide.
He declared the voters would decide who will fly the United Democratic Party Alliance ticket, not him.
In a passionate appeal, Ruto promised his UDA outfit will guarantee free and fair nominations.
“I want to assure you the people will decide who will be given which ticket. But I emphasise our UDA party will have free, fair, democratic and verifiable nominations, and it is the people who will decide,” Ruto declared.
Ngirici has been uneasy since Waiguru decided to abandon the Jubilee Party for the hustler nation and the woman rep signalled a possibility of leaving UDA and reviving her Citizen Convention Party.
The county MP has protested that Waiguru’s late entry into the fold is meant occupy her space within the DP’s camp, despite her massive investments to build the outfit in the region.
Keen not to antagonise voters over his presidency, Ruto has decided he will work with both Waiguru and Ngirici but asked them to be ready to accept the people’s decision.
Speaking at several roadside rallies in Kirinyaga county, the DP warned the two against sponsoring any forms of violence against each other, saying UDA does not tolerate in chaos.
“Fellow leaders, I want to respectfully ask you to be peaceful, let us say no to chaos, we are a peaceful party,” he said in Kianyaga, Kirinyaga.
Earlier Ruto attended a a service at the New Anglican Church of Kenya, Kirinyaga. He sat between Waiguru and Ngirici, all three of them wearing UDA yellow. The DP wore yellow socks and his shirt was patterned yellow.
Wairigu, who spoke before Ngirici at the Kianyaga shopping centre, called for free and fair nominations in the UDA primaries next year. She vowed to continue backing Ruto’s presidential bid.
“I hope that UDA will hold free and fair nominations so people decide who will be the next governor,” she said.
In a barb at Ngirici, Waiguru said leaders should stop calling each other names and instead be ready to subject themselves to the will of the people.
“Let the people decide who will be elected in Kirinyaga, we don’t want chaos or abuses; we are with Ruto and we believe in him,” she said.
In her brief comments, Ngirici said,"We shall remain in UDA; the people of Kirinyaga will decide."
The MP had been earlier been quoted by a daily saying she is gearing up to unveil her CCP party to take on UDA in the polls.
Earlier, reports were circulating that both Waiguru and Ngirici had mobilised their troops to attend the DP’s stopover rallies across Kirinyaga, raising fears of clashes.
Waiguru had been a key supporter of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM boss Raila Odinga. She was a pillar in the failed Building Bridges Initiative.
In October, however, she decided to switch camps and join the hustler nation. It was a significant defection, a major win for Ruto and loss for ODM boss Raila Odinga.
Since then, Ngirici has largely slowed down her UDA campaigns. She has been working closely with Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, a sworn enemy of Waiguru's.
Some DP allies on Sunday called on the two rivals to be ready to face the people for the UDA ticket next year.
“It is the people who shall decide who will fly the UDA ticket and it is important that as politicians we prepare to accept that choice,” Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
