Seth Panyako: Why I’m yet to resign as UDA deputy chair

Embattled UDA Party Deputy Chairperson Seth Panyako says he is yet to officially resign from the ruling party after his fallout with President William Ruto.

In an interview with Spice FM on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, Panyako said he was yet to tender his resignation after clashing with United Democratic Alliance Secretary General Cleophas Malala over the bonafide leaders of the party.

"I have not officially left the party. I was supposed to leave on Monday as I promised the President. But after that, Cleophas Malala produced some statements on his Facebook page, saying I have not been an official of UDA," Panyako said.

The vocal secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) insisted he is an official of the UDA party.

He said he won't step aside until he confirms the current leadership of the outfit from the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu.

According to Panyako, he had written a letter to the parties registrar and would step down from his role earliest Friday, July 2, 2023.

"When he (Malala) said I was not an official of UDA I said I needed to get a clarification from the Registrar of Political Parties on who are the current officials of UDA... then my resignation will follow on Friday," he added.

Panyako announced his resignation from the UDA party during a burial ceremony of former politician Joseph Hamisi held in Kakamega on Saturday.

He indicated that he was ditching the party due to his critical views on the Housing Fund and the high cost of living in the country.

'Panyako resigned from nothing'

In a rejoinder, Malala dismissed Panyako's remarks, saying the outspoken trade unionist "resigned from nothing".

The secretary-general outlined the various UDA national leadership positions, which list the KNUN boss did not feature.

According to Malala former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar is the deputy chair of the ruling party.

"For avoidance of doubt. UDA leadership is as follows: Cecil Mbarire (Chairperson), Hassan Omar (Deputy chairperson), Cleophas Malalah (Secretary General), Japheth Nyakundi (Treasurer)," Malala tweeted.

"Seth Panyako must stop hallucinating, he has resigned from nothing," he added.

During the radio interview on Wednesday, Panyako criticized Ruto's style of leadership, saying the President doesn't tolerate divergent views.

He said the President asked him to resign for opposing government projects.

"He (Ruto) told me 'You are opposing all the programmes of the government including the housing levy and VAT on fuel'. He told me 'It is not tenable for you to continue being an official of the party (UDA) when you are opposing the programmes of the party,'" Panyako stated.

He also slammed the Kenya Kwanza administration over its failure to honour its campaign pledges.

"When we campaigned in 2022, we rode on the issue of lowering the cost of living. One of the things we promised was to remove the 8 per cent VAT on petroleum products. Today we are telling people we are not going to lower, we are going to double it. We never told workers we are going to do affordable housing using their money," Panyako said.

"We deceived Kenyans. Politicians must stick to what they told the people. As Panyako I will not support (such)."