UDA moves to address aspirants’ fears over names missing from list

UDA National Elections Board chairman Antony Mwaura (C) flanked by members address the press at Simba Lodge Naivasha during a retreat for the board. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) was in a spot yesterday after some aspirants discovered their names were missing from the party list despite having paid nomination fees.

Party officials were scrambling to address members’ concerns after aspirants from Pokot North, Kapenguria and Kacheliba constituencies raised the alarm.

The party has said it will hold nominations between April 9 and April 16 to pick candidates for the August 9 General Election.

The party has 5,700 party members who have paid nomination fees. The party, including its leader, Dr Ruto, have consistently given assurances that the exercise will be above board.

But a number of aspirants from West Pokot County were forced to demand answers after their names were not included among aspirants who had paid to take part in the nominations.

Candidates eyeing parliamentary seats were required to pay Sh250,000.

“We were shocked to find our names missing from the list of candidates, but we are consulting with the secretariat who are waiting for a word from the secretary-general. We want them to explain to us what really happened,” said Ibrahim Longolmoi, an aspirant for the Pokot North parliamentary seat.

Other affected aspirants who did not want to be named for this story said they feared underhand political deals could be afoot.

They said their competitors, some of them sitting MPs, had taken advantage of their predicament.

“They are telling voters that we are not on the list. The guys who are playing these antics on us, whoever they are, are actually enemies of the party. We believe it is the incumbent MPs,” Mr Longolmoi said.

While they expressed fears that such antics would jeopardise the party’s chances of success at the ballot, they also said they would not leave the party.

“We would not like to be outside the realm of DP Ruto’s campaign. Why are they fearing nominations and trying to influence who will vie and who won’t?” asked Mr Longolmoi. The matter was later settled after a meeting with UDA Secretary-General Veronica Maina and National Elections Board chairman Anthony Mwaura.

“We met in the afternoon and the names were reinstated. The party said they were not aware of how the oversight occurred,” one aspirant said.

The aspirants said they had received an SMS informing them that their names were back on the list. They also claimed their credentials to the party leader’s forum were disabled. 

On Wednesday, UDA sent a message to its aspirants assuring them that the party would go ahead with its nominations planned for next month. The party said it was in the penultimate stage of preparations for the nominations. “In this regard, there is no doubt that the party is the most popular across the country having attracted in excess of 5,700 aspirants in all available elective seats in the August 2022 General Election.”

Mr Mwaura said, “The party wishes to inform its aspirants that the National Elections Board will carry out nominations in all areas where more than one aspirant has shown interest.

“All aspirants should continue with their campaigns across the country and not allow intimidation from any quota to interfere with their political dreams,” he added.