Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has declared that Jubilee members allied to Deputy President William Ruto are ready to decamp to the rebranded United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
He spoke on Friday at the launch ceremony of the party headquarters at Kilimani’s Makindi Road dubbed the Hustler Centre.
But he clarified that UDA, formerly Party of Development and Reform (PDR), was in a coalition with the ruling Jubilee Party and there was no crime joining it.
“As a member of Jubilee and also a founding member of Jubilee party, I have come here as a coalition partner of Jubilee to say that there is no difference in joining UDA, we have left one room within Jubilee party and joined another which is clean and has been renovated,” said Murkomen.
The former Majority Leader in the Senate said they opted to join the party after being blocked from the ruling party by an opposing faction, commonly referred to as Kieleweke.
“We have opted to join this party after being blocked from the ruling party,” he said.
The party has a wheelbarrow as its symbol and ‘Kazi ni Kazi’ (Work is Work) as its slogan and its primary colors are yellow and green.
Among those in attendance were Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika as well as Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah.
All three leaders were dressed in UDA branded gear despite being members of the Jubilee Party.
Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama, who doubles up as UDA chairman, was also present. He handed over nomination certificates to aspirants ahead of the MCA, MP, and gubernatorial by-elections.
Murkomen’s comments come a day after the registrar of political parties approved the change of UDA’s name, symbol, and slogan in a letter dated January 7, 2020.
At the same event, UDA unveiled former Assistant Minister Margaret Wanjiru as its candidate for the Nairobi Governor race, former Machakos Deputy Governor Benard Kiala (Machakos Senate by-election), former Kenya Revenue Authority board member Evans Kakai (Kabuchai Constituency) and Alex Lanya (Matungu parliamentary by-election).
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