Blow to Ruto as hundreds of UDA youths in Meru defect to ODM party after recent visit
A section of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party members in Meru have defected to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party days after President William Ruto visited the county.
Speaking during an ODM recruitment drive led by the party leader Raila Odinga in Zablon Mathenge, Meru county on Saturday, February 3, 2024, the youths affirmed that they were happy to defect from the ruling party as it had nothing meaningful to offer them.
The youths decried that the government's inconsideration during policy changes erased their hope in the current regime subsequently resulting in their defection.
While faulting the current regime's policies which they say have not been fruitful as the reason for their defection, the youths stressed that they were detaching from UDA politics and no longer wanted anything to do with it.
"Tunashukuru sana Raila Odinga kwa ujieweko wake hapa Meru, hawa vijana unaowaona hapa wamekua katika chama cha UDA, tumetembea nao safari ndefu sana na hawa watu wa kutenga, tumetengwa tukatengwa mpaka tumeamua kujitenga na hio siasa ya UDA. Kuanzia leo baba hii ni damu changa, hii Meru kuna kasumba imieshi, babu zetu wameuziwa na babu zao wakatuuzia sisi, sasa tunakata minyororo baba, hii rika we jua kuanzia sasa ni ODM," the youths led by one Osman said.
The latest comes weeks after UDA youth members in Ugunja defected from the President William Ruto-led party.
At the time, the youths including a section of boda boda operators decried suffering and empty promises from the UDA party.
"I'm very happy to come back to the ODM party because where I was UDA, we were suffering because our president was always saying nimetenga so we as youths and boda boda riders have decided to come back to the ODM party," Maurice Amenya, the chairman of Ugunja Boda Boda Riders Association, told the press.
They also urged other youths in the country to follow suit and ditch the ruling party saying there is nothing good they would benefit from it.
"I want to tell every youth listening that this government has nothing to offer to the youth apart from promises which we believe the next government will fulfil. So no I just want to request the ODM office to help us cause we want to do mass recruitment," the youth added.
