UDA welcomes 120 defectors from Azimio Coalition

A section of people with disabilities from different parties who defected to UDA party and received by the East Africa Community MP David Sanko at the party headquarters in Nairobi on Friday, September 08, 2023. [Collins Kweyu,Standard]

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party received 120 new members on Friday, who defected from the rival Azimio Coalition.

The defectors are people living with disabilities, who said they felt neglected by the government and wanted more representation and empowerment.

The UDA party Secretary General Cleopas Malala sent his representative Ole Sankok to welcome the defectors at the party headquarters in Nairobi. Sankok, who is also a person living with disability, outlined some of the plans that the UDA party has for the disabled community.

"We are promising you that, 10 per cent of the stalls that are going to be built will be allocated to people living with disability and if the building is a storey the whole of ground floor will be specifically for you," Sankok said.

He also said that those who are abled differently and cannot help themselves at all, will be put on cash transfers to sustain them. He added that the party is working on a sunscreen protector that will help people with albinism to move freely without being affected by the sunrays.

Sankok encouraged the defectors to collaborate and work together as a team so that their voices can be heard. He said the party will give them some cash to start and run their own businesses.

The defectors also had a number of demands they wanted from the government so as to belong. They requested to be given active roles in the government activities including commissioning of new projects in the country. They also requested to be considered in decision making and to have a say in political process by practicing their democratic rights.

"We thank William Ruto for considering us, persons living with disability in his government. Our votes are always counted on as 60 per cent of the voters were from people with disability," one of the defectors said.

The defection is seen as a blow to the Azimio Coalition, which is led by former prime minister Raila Odinga. The coalition has been losing support in recent weeks, as more politicians and voters shift their allegiance to the UDA party, which is backed by deputy president William Ruto. The two leaders are expected to face off in the presidential election next year.