UDA ticket in Rift Valley, Central is 80% victory – top party official
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Vice Chairperson Kipruto Arap Kirwa has said aspirants who clinched the party tickets in Rift Valley and Central Kenya have an 80 per cent chance of winning in the August 9 general election.
Speaking to Mediamax's Emoo FM breakfast show, Kirwa said UDA nominations conducted last week across the country were very competitive because the majority of Kenyans believe in UDA’s ideologies.
“All the UDA nominees especially in Rift Valley and Central Kenya have at least 80 per cent chance of emerging winners in the August general election. That is why you saw we had over 7,000 aspirants in UDA nominations across the country,” Kirwa said.
Kirwa said Deputy President William Ruto-led party performed fairly well in the nominations and admitted that there were challenges in some counties and constituencies.
“Although there were challenges here and there, especially in terms of logistics, I can give our party eight out 10 marks. Therefore, we performed well in our nominations," he said.
The former agriculture Cabinet minister appealed to all UDA nomination losers to stick to the party so that it delivers a majority of elective posts in the forthcoming elections.
“If you really believed in UDA ideals and ideologies and lost in the nominations, then you do not have any reason to run away from the party. I have heard some of the losers threatening to run as independent candidates, but my clarion call to them is that they stick to UDA,” he appealed.
He also condemned a Thursday incident where four aspirants in Cherang’any constituency parliamentary race coerced and threatened the Returning Officer to call off nominations in the constituency.
“We all saw some aspirants who had camped at Kipkeikei tallying centre threatening a whole Returning Officer to call off nominations that were ongoing. That was very unfortunate and uncalled for. The exercise continued because the officer did not have such powers. Nominations can only be called off by the party’s elections board,” he added.
