Ruto to convene crisis talks as Kenya Kwanza parties feuds escalate

An implosion is feared if competing interests are not handled with the greatest tact and IF KK does not treat members with more inclusiveness and respect.

Some smaller parties are feeling bullied and swallowed by UDA, and they say so.

The meeting could be Tuesday or Wednesday but a date has not been announced.

At least three political parties from the populous Mt Kenya region —one of the DP's strongholds — have raised concerns over how the alliance is run, in what could put Ruto's presidential race in jeopardy.

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo (Tujibebe Party), Moses Kuria (Chama Cha Kazi) and Mwangi Kinjuri of The Service Party have publicly stated their discontent with what they call lack of fairness to affiliates.

Some leaders have issues with Ruto's running mate Rigathi Gachagua whom they have branded a 'dictator'.

But the Star has established that Ruto is moving to address the growing unease with a crisis meeting scheduled this week. 

“The principals are going to meet in the course of the week, maybe Tuesday or Wednesday, to discuss emerging issues that need their attention,” UDA chairman Johnson Muthama told the Star. 

Among the issues raised by the leaders is a push by UDA to have six-piece suit voting from MCA to the president.

Other parties in Kenya Kwanza include Musalia Mudavadi's ANC and Moses Wetang'ula's Ford Kenya.

Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, a member of Ruto's UDA top brass, said the emerging issues will be sorted out in  coming days as “Ruto is available to thrash out the concerns.

“We are in competition and in such a situation you expect both vertical and horizontal crossfire but I can tell you that does not threaten the Kenya Kwanza unity,” Washiali told the Star.

The Kenya Kwanza machine has been unsettled by internal wars and political cannibalisation as sister parties fight for elective seats in Mt Kenya region ahead of the August 9 general election.

The DP's party, the biggest boy in the Kwaza coalition, is said to be dominating the campaigns, rallying the region to vote for only UDA aspirants, threatening to vanquish smaller parties.

Conversely, Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga, Ruto's main opponent, has been careful not to undercut more than 26 parties in the coalition.

Raila has only been campaigning for a six-piece vote in his Nyanza backyard, adopting an accommodating approach while campaigning in other regions, including Mt Kenya.

On Sunday, Kiunjuri warned that Ruto risked losing the presidential vote due the infighting in the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

“If we don't check out our moves, we will lose badly as we aren't organised like Azimio. The infighting in Kenya Kwanza will spoil their chances and they will regret it," he warned.

He went on, “If Kabogo, Kuria and Kiunjuri departed alongside their supporters, Ruto won't make it. I am fully behind Ruto but I do respect Raila Odinga as our national leader and that is political maturity.”

The former MP spoke during an interview with Kameme, a Kikuyu TV station, on Sunday night.

The last few days have been awash with speculation the disgruntled leaders in Ruto's camp from Mt Kenya could bolt out and join Azimio.

While the squabbles are said to have been roiling the outfit for months, the extent of the wars was exposed by Kuria on Sunday when he accused UDA of engaging in political conmanship.

Kuria said Ruto's UDA party is deliberately undermining other parties by campaigning against other Kenya Kwanza candidates across Mt Kenya, threatening the union.

He said that parties from Western Kenya, the Coast region and Ukambani are being treated more fairly in KK than parties that originate in the Mt Kenya region.

"When it comes to events in Mt Kenya, organisation meetings are held exclusively by UDA and we are thrown out. For me, it's sad and strange,” the MP said.

He went on, "We find this to be dishonest and when we talk about the politics of deceit and conmanship, which made us run away from Jubilee," Kuria said.

"I find this more exemplified by what is happening against us in Mt Kenya region as opposed to what we are fighting Jubilee about.”

Already, Tujibebe and Chama Cha Kazi have pulled out of Kenya Kwanza joint campaigns, citing bullying by UDA during these joint events.

Last Wednesday, Senator Kimani Wamatangi clashed with Kabogo before Ruto's running mate Gachagua during a campaign rally in Kiambu county.

However, when Ruto toured the region on Saturday, accompanied by Kenya Kwanza principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula, he steered clear of the altercation.

Kuria and Kabogo, both of whom are running for governor on their parties' tickets, boycotted the rallies after they expressed reservations about Gachagua's leadership style.

In a viral video circulating online, Kabogo is heard telling Thika residents that he could chart a new political path in the coming weeks

“I am back here because I want to start my journey afresh. I don't like starting something afresh without the blessings of my home.

"I have seen Ruto and his UDA party want to swallow fringe parties. I have refused to be swallowed,” Kabogo said.

The nomination of Gachagua as Ruto's running mate has also fuelled the wars after it emerged that many had preferred Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki.

Gachagua recently told Inooro TV that his nomination as Ruto’s deputy has driven a wedge between his side and Mt Kenya leaders who appeared to favour Kindiki.

Lifting the lid on the grey areas in the KK agreement, Kiunjuri on Sunday said they are yet to see the agreement they inked.

He said while some parties within the alliance signed a coalition agreement, others inked a cooperation agreement that had conditions attached.

He warned that the six-piece voting calls could disadvantage parties whose future relationship within KK would depend on the number of seats they win in August.

“In Kenya Kwanza, we will share government depending on how many seats a party will deliver and that is why UDA has been calling for six-piece voting. We did [sign] a cooperation agreement but not a coalition agreement,” Kinjuri said.

(Edited by V. Graham)

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