Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday continued to popularise the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party as political temperatures in the country heighten ahead of next year’s General Election.
In a brief statement after hosting hundreds of political aspirants allied to UDA from Nairobi County at his Karen home, the country’s second in command said his team is focused on building a ‘tribeless party that will take Kenya forward’.
“National political parties are the ultimate guarantee for democracy, unity and development. The United Democratic Alliance is building a tribeless and equal-opportunity mass party that will take Kenya forward,” he said.
The DP has been busy selling his hustler narrative amid criticism from a section of the political class over the viability of his bottom-up economic model which, according to him, seeks to empower the common mwananchi.
Read: OKA Declares NASA Dissolved as Principals Notify Parties Registrar of Exit
In a thinly-veiled attack directed at his political opponents, Ruto said unlike the politicians seeking President Uhuru Kenyatta’s endorsement in the 2022 presidential election, the hustler nation believes in ‘hard work’.
“It is in the Hustler Movement that our hard work and determination will count, and not who we know,” he added.
We were joined by @GovernorNanok, MPs James Gakuya (Embakasi N), @MillicentOmanga (nominated), Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), @KiarieJohn (Dagoretti S), @GeorgeTheuri (Embakasi W), @Gachagua_R (Mathira), @nixon_korir (Lang’ata), @WahomeHon (Kandara) & John Wanjiku (Kiambaa) pic.twitter.com/q3jFdaqGZT
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) August 18, 2021
In the Wednesday meeting, Ruto was joined by Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, MPs James Gakuya (Embakasi North), Millicent Omanga (nominated), Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), John Kiarie (Dagoretti South), George Theuri (Embakasi West), Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Nixon Korir (Lang’ata), Alice Wahome (Kandara) and John Wanjiku (Kiambaa).
Word has it that President Kenyatta is in talks with the opposition to field a joint candidate in the forthcoming election following his fallout with his deputy.
Last week, the Jubilee party leader met former National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition allies at State House in Mombasa where 2022 succession politics took center stage.
Read Also: OKA Vows to Field its Own Presidential Candidate in 2022 Poll
The leaders include ODM leader Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress), Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya) and KANU’s Gideon Moi who was not in the NASA coalition.
It is said that President Kenyatta pressured the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) partners to drop their bids in favour of Odinga who has been cooperating with the Jubilee administration since their March 9, 2018 handshake. But Kalonzo and Musalia are said to have rejected the proposal.
The talks are ongoing even as the OKA principals announced yesterday that the coalition will field its own candidate in the presidential poll.
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