President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has started a popularisation drive in Kisii, in a move aimed at weakening Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
On Monday, UDA launched a membership recruitment drive at Mosocho in Kisii County, a region that has in the recent past overwhelmingly supported the political aspirations of Mr Odinga and his ODM party.
Mr Odinga who hails from Siaya County has been domineering in the politics of Nyanza region, which includes Kisii and Nyamira counties.
The recruitment drive attracted not only UDA leaders but also two Kisii lawmakers who were elected on the ODM ticket.
The two were Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka and first-time MP of Nyaribari Masaba Dan Manduku.
"This is a pleasant surprise," UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala said in reference to the presence of Mr Onyonka and Mr Manduku.
On their part though, the ODM duo did not pledge any allegiance to the UDA party.
Mr Onyonka averred that he was there because his home is less than a kilometer from the venue of the recruitment exercise.
"This is my area, in fact my house is half a kilometer from here and I thought it honourable to come and greet you. Politics is like a free market," Onyonka said, mentioning that he had been informed about the intended recruitment exercise.
The democracy that he believes in, the Senator said, is one where he can positively criticise the government without being seen as a saboteur of government business.
Mr Onyonka stated that the UDA party leader, Dr Ruto, and other government officials are his friends.
He also praised the rank and file of the UDA for doing a good job in the democratisation of the country and politics of the Gusii region.
"Only a strong UDA in Kisii can provide checks and balances in the ODM-ruled Kisii County administration," he submitted.
Mr Manduku on the other hand, was somehow cagey with the information as to why he had attended a political exercise of a rival political party.
"Zaheer Njanda (MP) has my debt. I was on my way to a funeral when Zaheer told me to branch here and pick my money," Mr Manduku said.
Attendees welcomed the duo and urged them to get into the party and be part of the team that is uniting as UDA to build the country.
"The truth is that our President cannot employ everyone because government opportunities are limited. However, we are organising ourselves as UDA to ensure that every party member at the ground level is reached," said Mr Malala.
The UDA SG said that his party will soon open regional offices from which members at the grassroot can benefit from government goodies directly.
UDA polling station agents will be enabled to form groups in order to benefit from the Hustler Fund as a group, the secretary general said.
UDA National Treasurer and Kitutu Chache North MP Japhet Nyakundi welcomed Kisii residents into the party, saying that it is "the only outfit that will drive the agenda of this country forward".
Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri called on young men and women from Kisii to step forward and contest for various political seats when the right time comes.
"We want a party which identifies with the sons and daughters of nobodies; those whose names are not in history books," said Ms Okenyuri.
The event was also attended by National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro, UDA Director Resource Mobilisation Charles Chweya, MPs Zaheer Jhanda (Nyaribari Chache) and Alpha Miruka (Bomachoge Chache), former Kisii governor James Ongwae and former Women Rep Janet Ong'era.
"Our mantra as UDA is to gather all, scatter none," Mr Osoro declared.
The South Mugirango MP challenged Mr Odinga to exit the political stage for his tactics, which the MP said are no longer working.
"You cannot do the same thing in the same way, year in year out," Mr Osoro told Mr Odinga, adding that he (Odinga) no longer inspires the electorate of the Gusii region.
