By Rodgers Omondi, Kakamega
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leadership in Busia County has dismissed claims that the broad-based government translates into a broad-based political party, maintaining that the party will independently field candidates for all elective seats in the 2027 General Election while reaffirming its support for President and UDA Party Leader William Ruto’s second-term re-election bid.
Speaking in Busia, County UDA Chairperson Maurice Chetambe said the party fully supports the President’s broad-based government but insisted the arrangement should not be used to undermine UDA’s identity or electoral plans.
“We are in support of broad-based government led by our President but that doesn’t relate to a broad-based party. We don’t have a broad-based party neither do we have broad-based candidates in Busia. As the party, we have aspirants in all positions from the gubernatorial seat to the MCA seat as we all support the President’s second-term re-election.”
Chetambe further said UDA leaders would not allow elected leaders to use the broad-based arrangement as a shield against accountability.
“We are not going to allow leaders who have failed in doing their work to hide under the coat of broad-based. Let’s not use broad-based to avoid being accountable to those who gave you the position to serve. We are calling for all leaders to ensure they stand by their party.” he said.
The chairman also urged leaders and residents to uphold peace and embrace dialogue in resolving disputes.
“We have all tribes in our county that need to live in peace. We are calling for peace and alternative ways of handling the existing challenges. This is not an individual responsibility but a collective one led by the leaders in power to ensure that there is peace in our county and if there are any cases of criminality, they are dealt with appropriately.” Chetambe said
Busia County UDA Secretary General Stephen Buluma said the party has attracted aspirants across all elective positions through its nomination portal.
“We have one gubernatorial aspirant, five senatorial aspirants, four women representative aspirants, 41 registered MP aspirants and 203 MCA aspirants in our UDA portal in Busia County. This is the only county with a full structure of leadership from the polling station to the county level.”
Buluma assured party members that nominations would be conducted fairly and transparently.
“We are calling all aspirants who want to vie through UDA to come and join the party. We are going to ensure that our nominations are free and fair. We are therefore against zoning issues when it comes to elections.”
County UDA Treasurer Fred Obuche said the party’s focus is to strengthen its grassroots structures and increase the number of seats it wins in Busia County.
“Every party works to ensure it gets many seats and that’s what we are doing as the party. We are intensifying plans that will ensure we support and stand with our aspirants to ensure our party grows. We are calling for our elected leaders to come and work together with us to strengthen the party.”
He warned that disciplinary action would be taken against members campaigning for candidates from other political parties.
“We cannot allow a leader in our party to be endorsing an aspirant of another party without disciplinary action against them. You can’t be in two parties at the same time. We need order in our party and to remove the confusion among the party members.”
Busia county UDA Deputy Secretary General Lidya Nambwire called on leaders who have drifted away from party to return and help strengthen the party ahead of the next General Election.
“We need to work together and that’s why I am calling all those elected and nominated leaders under UDA to come back to the party so that we can continue to build our party strong and prepare for the coming election.”
