Shock on RUTO as owners of UDA now want their party back by force – The DP may not even have the party to run for president in 2022

 

Thursday, July 22, 2021 – Deputy President William Ruto now risks being ‘partyless’ barely one year to the 2022 General Election.

This is after the original owners of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the party which the DP has chosen as his vehicle to State House come 2022, want it back.

The former officials of UDA have moved to court seeking to snatch the party from Ruto’s firm grip.

UDA former Chairman Mohammed Abdi Noor moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal in a bid to reclaim the party from the interim officials – Chairman Johnstone Muthama and Secretary-General Veronica Maina.

Noor accused Muthama and Maina of illegally taking over the party leadership in an unconstitutional manner.

He wants the Tribunal to overturn the changes made at the Party and reinstate him as the Chairman of UDA.

In an affidavit dated July 12, 2021, he also blames the Registrar of Political Parties for ignoring complaints and reservations leading to the changes instituted in the party.

In his argument, Noor claims that suspended Secretary-General Mohamed Sahal had called a meeting on December 11, 2020, that saw the party change its name from Party for Development and Reforms (PDR) to UDA, which was agreed by the members present.

The former officials only realized later that the signed forms also had given the party a go-ahead to effect leadership changes.

“I am aware on my own knowledge that the Registrar of Political Parties unlawfully made changes to the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) officials through Gazette Notice No. 1233 dated January 29, 2021, and 2739 published on March 19, 2021,” Noor stated in the sworn affidavit.

The registrar and UDA party have been listed as respondents in the case by Noor which is to be mentioned on July 28, 2021, when the tribunal is expected to issue directives on the way forward.

The UDA ownership wrangles arise just after the party bagged its first political seat through a win in the Kiambaa by-election.

UDA candidate Njuguna Wanjiku triumphed against Jubilee’s Kariri Njama.