President Uhuru Kenyatta with Azimio la Umoja flag-bearer Raila Odinga during the coalition's National Delegates Conference at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi City County. Also present are Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Kanu leader Senator Gideon Moi.
UDA deserves plaudits for even attempting the herculean task of countrywide party primaries for all five available positions.
The fallout in the Ruto electoral vehicle could be minuscule compared to what awaits the rival Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition.
The party primaries staged by Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) were far from perfect. There were plenty of logistical cock-ups, manipulation, ballot stuffing and sheer incompetence. And, of course, many of those fellows who scream ‘Hatupangwingwi!’ the shrillest and loudest were properly ‘pangwad’ by machinations from Dr Ruto’s Karen Road nerve centre.
The nominations left a lot of sore and disgruntled losers loudly crying foul and, in time-honoured Kenyan fashion, threatening to abandon a party and presidential candidate they hitherto so rabidly supported. Yet with all their faults, the nominations were a qualified success — at least by the very low standards expected of Kenyan political parties.
