Taking stock: President Ruto to meet Kenya Kwanza MCAs at State House
President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi on October 21, 2023.
President William Ruto is set to meet all Kenya Kwanza Alliance MCAs on Monday at State House to take stock of his administration since coming into office.
The meeting, which will commence at 7am, will also see the parties deliberate on the forthcoming activities of the ruling alliance.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Cleophas Malala, in a letter, said the aim of the caucus is to engage and reflect on the successes of the Kenya Kwanza government.
“I am pleased to extend an invitation for and on behalf of the UDA party leader to a joint Kenya Kwanza MCAs caucus. The event is scheduled for Monday March 11, 2024 at State House, Nairobi at 7am,” said Mr Malalah.
“The caucus is expected to engage and reflect on the successes of the Kenya Kwanza government and to deliberate on forthcoming coalition activities,” he added.
The letter dated March 7, 2024 is also copied to all secretary-generals of Kenya Kwanza Alliance parties.
The State House meeting comes at a time when UDA once again postponed its planned party elections less than a month before the due date.
The development came against a backdrop of concerns over a lack of preparations, including procurement of poll materials and registering new members.
However, some officials intimated that the delayed decision by some Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties to fold and join UDA – particularly Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) – has also been cited as the reason for the confusion.
Mr Mudavadi quit as party leader before his vetting for the cabinet slot, with Lamu Governor Issa Timamy picked in an acting capacity.
ANC is reported to have demanded the secretary-general position before agreeing to fold.
UDA had initially planned to hold the elections on December 9 but moved the date to April following a November 18 meeting that Dr Ruto chaired.
Ten positions will be contested for at every polling centre. The 10 elected officials from every polling centre will proceed to elect officials at ward level. This will go on to the constituency, county and finally national level.
Elected leaders will automatically become part of the delegates at the ward for Members of the County Assembly, MP at the constituency and governor, senator and woman representative at the county level.
The uncertainty surrounding the exercise was raised during the recent retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County, where the party leadership reportedly told lawmakers that they would be called for a Parliamentary Group meeting at State House for an update.
Nonetheless, the two planned meetings in February on deciding on whether to postpone or go on with the exercise aborted, leaving the matter in abeyance.
The initial elections were to be held on December 9, 2023 but the exercise was postponed following a demand by Mt Kenya leaders to change the UDA constitution to provide for a single deputy party leader. They insisted the position must be reserved for Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The UDA constitution provides for two deputies, a provision some Mt Kenya leaders felt could be used to undermine Mr Gachagua.
