UDA Leadership Set For Change As Gachagua Faces The Door
Kithure Kindiki, the newly appointed Deputy President, will be confirmed as the United Democratic Alliance’s (UDA) deputy party leader on Monday of next week.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, the UDA Chair, announced this new development on Friday, November 1, 2024, while speaking at DP Kindiki’s swearing-in ceremony and citing the UDA party constitution.
“The UDA constitution states that the President will be the party leader and the Deputy President will be the deputy party leader,” stated Mbarire.
“We will be holding a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting probably as early as Monday, November 4, 2024, to bring him in.”
Governor Cecily Mbarire: It’s a great joy for me, especially coming from Mt. Kenya East, because this is the first time a top leader, second in command, has come to that part of the world. We are happy that we can finally say that Mt. Kenya East has what it takes to produce a… pic.twitter.com/XmIzyjV8kY
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 1, 2024
Kindiki, the country’s new second-in-command, is about to be officially sworn in.
This comes after a long-running legal battle, which culminated in the High Court lifting conservatory orders that had prevented his swearing-in.
President Ruto nominated Kithure Kindiki as the new DP, which was approved by Parliament following Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment.
Until his ouster, former DP Gachagua was the UDA’s de facto deputy party leader.
Earlier this week, on Monday, October 21, the UDA party publicly denounced Rigathi Gachagua as its deputy party leader.
The party, through Secretary General Hassan Omar, stated that plans were already underway to expel Rigathi from the party within a week.
“Gachagua must now accept the ground has shifted and move on,” Omar stated while urging the ousted DP to pave the way for new leaders.
The Secretary-General went on to say that UDA did not recognise Gachagua as the party’s deputy leader, as stated in the ruling party’s constitution.
The Assumption of Office Committee is making the necessary preparations for the swearing-in ceremony of Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, scheduled for Friday, 1st November 2024. UDA Party Secretary General @HassanOmarH was present. #UDA #kaziNiKazi pic.twitter.com/C2oSTDXzNj
— United Democratic Alliance, UDA. (@UDAKenya) October 31, 2024
UDA Treasury Japhet Nyakundi claimed that Gachagua had gone against everything that the party stood for and that Kindiki’s upcoming entry as Deputy President necessitated the change in leadership.
“We already recognise Kindiki as our deputy president and also deputy party leader but we will officially install him soon,” he said, adding “Gachagua failed to act in accordance with the party’s values.”
Gachagua’s tenure at the party began to wind down after Cleophas Malala, a former DP ally, was removed as UDA Secretary-General.
Malala’s removal served as the catalyst for the end of Gachagua’s political career.
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Some of Gachagua’s allies within the party have threatened to leave the party.
The allies, the majority of whom come from the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region, have announced plans to form their own political party.
Former lawmaker Kimani Ngunjiri recently claimed that some influential political figures had lost faith in Ruto and were considering leaving the UDA to form their own powerful political bloc.
“We shall form our own party. Ruto’s UDA is now in bed with the opposition,” Ngunjiri stated.
UDA Leadership Set For Change As Gachagua Faces The Door
