Tangatanga leaders split on support for new party UDA

The Hustler movement associated with Deputy President William Ruto has sent the strongest signal yet that they will use the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a rebrand of Jubilee affiliate Party of Development and Reforms, as a vehicle to power in next year’s General Election.

The brigade, led by UDA party chairman Johnson Muthama and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, yesterday announced that they had found a “room” to shelter from the “terror and humiliation” meted upon their mother party, Jubilee.

Speaking while unveiling the candidates to fly UDA flag in various by-elections set to happen across the country, the faces of hustler movement also dared the Jubilee leadership to evict them for supporting an affiliate party.

“For those who have legal concerns, we want to say that as Jubilee members, we’re supporting a party that already was in coalition with us in the last election. The Senate deputy majority leader is a UDA elected member for example,” Senator Murkomen said.

The former Senate Majority Leader, who was stripped of the position together with many others for their affiliation with DP Ruto, sought to explain their move saying that ever since Jubilee room was locked, they sought refuge in UDA which is another room in the same house with President Uhuru Kenyatta as a father.

 “In our father's house there are many rooms. We just moved to a bright, renovated, welcoming room that is UDA,” said Mr Murkomen in the event attended by about 40 MPs.

Finding peace

The sentiments were echoed by Nakuru senator Susan Kihika. Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah and Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, also read the same script of finding peace and solace in their new outfit.

The lawyer-turned-politician further said should the party feel the need to discipline them for backing UDA, they should first begin by cracking down on those Jubilee members who campaigned for the opposition party ODM during the Kibera and Msambweni parliamentary by-elections.

Ms Kihika described their new vehicle as a party with a national outlook and friendly to all, away from the segregation in Jubilee.

Mr Ichung’wah said: “We tell those who declared us persona non grata in Jubilee that we are happier in our new home. The wheelbarrow movement that makes all Kenyans equal. With wheelbarrows, we shall rescue the rescue the sinking economy of this country.”

Others present were Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, former Kakamega Senator Boniface Khalwale, Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri, Sylvanus Osoro (South Mugirango) and Mumias counterpart Benjamin Washiali.

Confirming the earlier speculation, Mr Muthama handed former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru the ticket to fly the UDA flag in the Nairobi gubernatorial race, in the event that the court clears the way for the by-election.

Former Kenya Revenue Authority board member Evans Kakai contests for the Kabuchai constituency seat while Alex Lanya will go for the Matungu seat.

For the ward by-elections, Antony Wachira has the London Ward ticket (Nakuru), while Jonathan Warothe seeks to take over the Hells Gate Ward (Nakuru) and Moses Nyakeramba for the Kiamakoma Ward ( Kisii).

Hustler nation

These are the first contestants since the party was rebranded from PDR. The logo has changed to a wheelbarrow, which is associated with the “hustler nation”.

 Former PDR chairman Abdi Noor handed over the party to Mr Muthama before the unveiling of the candidates.

The unveiling sets the ground for a bruising battle with Jubilee Party, for which the DP is the deputy leader, the ODM party of Mr Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress.

The party is, however, yet to settle on a candidate for the Machakos senatorial by-election. But the team asserted that they would soon release a name as they hit the ground running to campaign for all the party candidates in what they exuded confidence to be a winning formula.

The “hustler” leaders also took issue with what they said was the government and its opposition partner meddling in the ongoing court case on the Nairobi governorship.

“It seems our opponents are already feeling jittery and scared to go into a duel with Margaret Wanjiru. That is why they’re bringing all these shenanigans. Stop misusing the courts and bending the rules midway and compete with us in an open and fair playfield. What we’re witnessing is constitutionally, morally and legally wrong,” said Mr Murkomen.

Mr Muthama said that the party plans are in top gear to elect UDA leaders.

“I assure Kenyans that UDA will involve every Kenyan. We don't want self-appointed office bearers,” he said.

But the UDA shift has caused cracks in Tangatanga, the political outfit coalescing around DP Ruto, with other parties accusing Muthama and allies of going ahead of time to project UDA as Dr Ruto’s party.

The immediate trigger is the upcoming by-elections in what, if not sorted out now, insiders fear could jolt the movement outfit before it takes off.

After it became apparent that they had lost control of the Jubilee Party, a number of politicians backing the DP in his State House ambition embarked on a rush to register political parties, each with the hope that the second in command would run on its ticket.

It is against this backdrop that the “hustler brigade” has now been stung by internal wrangling over which should the DP take, saying a coalition of like-minded parties was initially envisaged.

Some of the outfits are the People's Empowerment Party (PEP) associated with Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, The Service Party (TSP) of former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri, the Party of Economic Development of former Kenya Ports Authority managing director Daniel Manduku, Kaddu Asili connected to Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and Mr Omingo Magara’s PDP.

“Today the Tangatanga brigade is issuing UDA certificates to candidates for the forthcoming by-elections. They will stage high PR to create the impression that UDA is the only Tangatanga vehicle. Though we are also in Tangatanga, some of us believe that UDA was not to be a party but a NASA-like, PNU-like alliance or the TNA-URP of 2013 in the Jubilee Coalition, and that an almighty party right now before harmonisation of all ideologies is premature. Predictably, those who want the UDA wave will want to crush and decimate those of different opinion like myself and Mwangi Kiunjuri,” Mr Kuria said yesterday.

The fear among other parties, like for Mr Kuria and others say, is the risk of ending up with a behemoth with the ‘original owners’ riding roughshod over others. As such, they want the DP to find a common home where all parties affiliated to Tangatanga will be sheltered.

Mr Kiunjuri, who is said to share these concerns, promised to get back to us but never did.

Insiders say that the choice of UDA already favours its officials like Mr Muthama, who is said to be one of the key financiers of the hustler political activities, which makes him ideal to deal with matters on behalf of Dr Ruto.

In a past interview, Mr Muthama said that he has in the past helped finance a number of presidential candidates such as retired President Mwai Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Lang’ata MP Nixon Korir said they will address issues as they arise, internally.

“There shouldn’t be any problem that there are many parties. Remember in the last General Election, the many associated parties formed a coalition. People find ways of working together. As for the hustler movement, it is too early to comment.”

But Meru Senator Mithika Linturi was categorical: “UDA is the party that has been chosen and we will all back it. When you form a party it is your business to mobilise and convince the people that you’re better than the other.

In seeking power, the party is an important determinant on whether one wins. Also consider that UDA is an affiliate party of Jubilee. We also changed the name, but the policies and the manifestos remain the same.”

Jubilee party deputy secretary-general Caleb Kositany, the DP’s de facto spokesman, said they had taken enough humiliation in the ruling party.

"We have seen some people trying to threaten us in Jubilee, they do not know that we left there long ago," the lawmaker from Soy said.

"It is now official, the new baby in town is UDA formerly PDR, which was born again. For now, UDA is a Jubilee coalition member with the highest office holder in Parliament being the Senate deputy majority leader. All Jubilee members are free by law to support their coalition partner," Mr Murkomen said.

The upcoming by-elections in different parts of the country have seen DP Ruto come under immense pressure as aspirants who associate with the hustler brand scramble for his endorsement in what may see those not successful severe ties with him leading to more alignments and re-alignments ahead of the polls.

On Thursday, a number of parliamentary hopefuls, mostly independents, for Matungu whose MP Justus Murunga died last year, were hosted by Mr Muthama reportedly to drop their bids and rally behind one candidate, only for the others to denounce the arrangement moments after Alex Lanya was unveiled as the UDA candidate.

Stepped down

“My tonnes of gratitude to Alex Lanya, Odanga Pesa, Paul Posho, Bernard Wakoli, Christabel Murunga, Athman Wangara and Mohammed Omoro for joining hands to keep the hustler nation strong in the Matungu by-election. Thank you UDA chairman, Senator Muthama for the consultations. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s coming home,” former Kakamega Senator Bonnie Khalwale said before the aspirants led by Mr Wangara clarified that they were well in the race to represent the region in parliament.

“Please ignore rumours doing rounds on social media platforms that I have stepped down,” Mr Wangara said.

To tame a possible falling-out in the upcoming Senate by-election in Machakos, Dr Ruto met sections of his Ukambani allies thrice this week.

MPs Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala), Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East) and former Kathiani MP Peter Kaindi met him on Monday, a meeting that sparked grumbling among associates of Mr Muthama, and laid bare previously unseen cracks in the team of Dr Ruto’s supporters.

Mr Muthama has a soft spot for former Machakos deputy governor Bernard Kiala who has not only declared his candidature but also strongly believes he is the man to beat. Mr Munyaka, however, is among those who believe that Mr Kiala is a hard-sell. The MP leads the pack that openly campaigns for Mr Kaindi.

 To placate camp Muthama, the DP met with 13 aspirants, most of them independents, in the company of Mr Muthama and the three MPs on Wednesday. The murmuring, however, resumed when the MPs returned to Dr Ruto the next day, this time in the company of Urbanus Ngengele, another aspirant.

The team agreed to rely on an opinion poll to select a candidate. The outcome of the poll, which is commissioned by Dr Ruto, is set to be unveiled by Wednesday.

“We have agreed to pick the most suitable candidate as shown by the opinion poll and discuss with the others the modalities of working together to deliver the Machakos seat,” Mr Muthama said after the Wednesday meeting.

Additional reporting by Onyango K’onyango and Pius Maundu