UDA chairman Johnson Muthama’s heightened push to strengthen the party has set him on a collision course with some of President William Ruto ’s allies in Ukambani.
Mr Muthama’s demand that politicians supporting the Head of State should join UDA ahead of the 2027 polls has caused disquiet, with some feeling that the move amounts to back-pedalling on democracy.
The differences played out during a thanksgiving ceremony on Sunday. Whereas Mr Muthama used the ceremony at Wote town in Makueni County to promote UDA ahead of its grassroots elections, former Kitui senator David Musila and former Mwingi Central MP Joe Mutambu rejected the push.
Wary of sibling rivalry in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, Mr Muthama vowed not to entertain candidates allied to “small parties”.
“It will be an easy ride for UDA candidates. No one will attack you when you are campaigning for Ruto. Join UDA and commit to support its candidates,” Mr Muthama said. “Joining UDA is the surest way the Kamba community can regain a political foothold beyond Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties.”
But Mr Musila and Mr Mutambu cautioned UDA members against feeling entitled, saying the party needs new blood. Mr Musila insisted that joining UDA was not the primary objective of President Ruto’s allies.
“We are not here to join UDA, that is not the concept. We want to rally all Kambas behind President Ruto so that this region can develop,” he said.
The clash comes amid fears that President Ruto’s allies are staring at political oblivion if the opposition throws its weight behind Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, who has declared his 2027 presidential bid
To checkmate Mr Musyoka, who is widely regarded as the region’s political kingpin, the allies of the President settled on Mr Muthama as the Head of State’s pointman in the region. However, former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana cautioned Mr Muthama against making unilateral decisions.
a“We are not out to fashion a kingpin to order us left, right and centre. Since you are close to the President by being the chairman of UDA, we want you to lead us so that the Kamba community thrives. That is the concept,” he said.
