By Vitalis Kimutai
A number of politicians including Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo are eyeing the United Democratic Movement presidential ticket as political re-alignments unfold ahead of the next General Election.
Jirongo and former Agriculture minister Kipruto arap Kirwa, who are among the founder members of UDM, are said to be headed back to the party.
Kirwa, now a diplomat and a former Cheranganyi MP is eyeing a seat in Trans Nzoia County.
Jirongo whose Kaddu party did not meet the minimum threshold for registration under the Political Parties Act 2011, has announced severing of links with the United Republican Party.
The Lugari MP was initially expected to fight it out with Eldoret North MP William Ruto for URP’s ticket, but he has since thrown in the towel over allegations he had been sidelined in party affairs.
“I am no longer a party to the G7 alliance as it is a project that is being propelled by State House to exclude others in the presidential race. I am soon announcing my party of choice as my stay in URP is no longer teneable,” Jirongo said.
He is said to have been consulting with UDM officials in the past few weeks and that an announcement would soon be made on the matter which has generated much interests.
Expressed interests
Some ODM MPs from Rift Valley, especially from the South Rift region, are also expected to decamp to the party owing to what they are claiming to be continued marginalisation in party affairs and skewed manner in which the Cabinet positions have been dished out in the past.
Lt Gen (rtd) John Koech, the UDM national chairman said in an interview he was privy to information that Jirongo was interested with rejoining the party but there had been no official communication on the matter.
“We are aware he has told his supporters he wants to be UDM’s presidential flag bearer in the next General Election, but he has not consulted me as the party chairman,” Koech said.
Koech, a former chairman of the Poverty Eradication Commission, said should the MP engage the party on the matter, it would first have to be tabled before the National Executive Council.
“NEC officials will weigh the value he will bring to the party as we have a clear process of recruiting members and picking a presidential candidate. The rules will be applied,” Koech said.
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Mr Martin Kamwaro, the UDM Secretary-General said the party had attracted support both at the grassroots and national level as the clock ticks towards the March 4, 2013 election.
“UDM has clearly demonstrated the era of sycophancy, dictatorship and impunity is long gone as we have a new constitutional and political dispensation. Ours is a party that welcomes everyone on board, that it is why a number of politicians are interested with joining the party,” Kamwaro said.
Nomination process
He added, “When a group of MPs joined the party over a year ago, they found us weak, but they left us stronger.”
Mr Stanley Rotich, the UDM Secretary of Labour, separately confirmed Jirongo and Kirwa among others have shown interest in joining the party.
“Jirongo, Kirwa and others have talked to us on the matter. As a party, our doors are open to those who share the same ideals, but whoever wants to be a presidential flagbearer will be subjected to a competitive process,” Rotich said.
He said grassroots elections will be held before the end of this month while national office bearers will be picked next month.
If Jirongo joins UDM, it will be the third time he will be associating with the party having founded it with Ruto and Kirwa during the Kanu era but later jumped ship to other parties.
Mogotio MP Hellen Sambili is the only UDM MP in Parliament.
Meanwhile, URP official Steven Mutai and a youth leader Kibet Komen, described Jirongo as a spoiler who had expected to benefit had Ruto been barred by the International Criminal Court from contesting the presidency.
“Jirongo was taken aback when the ICC cleared Ruto to contest the presidency. It was then he realised he had no chance in URP and decided to move on,” says Mutai.