Deputy President William Ruto has found himself in a tight spot with Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi publicly disagreeing with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party leader.
Let us respect each other -Mudavadi tells Ruto in fight for seats
Let us, therefore, respect each other and observe boundaries - Musalia Mudavadi
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At the center of the fallout is the fielding of candidates in Western Kenya, a region perceived to be Mudavadi’s stronghold with the former Vice President now taking Ruto head-on over the same.
In a video that has since gone viral, the ANC party leader took DP Ruto head-on, warning of a plot to render him a general without troops and has now appealed to residents to save him the embarrassment.
Mudavadi urged his supporters not to embarrass him by voting in UDA candidates as the area is perceived as his stronghold.
“If you look keenly, do you think Sugoi residents can elect an ANC MP in their backyard despite some of us being in one coalition? Let’s be honest and say the truth much as we are going to form a government... Ruto's home MP will be from UDA. Don’t embarrass me in this forthcoming general election; just give me an ANC MP in my backyard,” Mudavadi explained.
Indeed, UDA is keen on winning as many seats as possible and has fielded Mr Clement Siloya for the Sabatia parliamentary seat where Mudavadi hails from.
A concerned Mudavadi has now made it clear that Ruto should not meddle in other seats as his own UDA party already has the two top positions of president and his deputy.
The ANC party leader who is also the Kenya Kwanza nominee for Chief Minister lamented that by fielding a candidate in his Western Kenya strongholds, Ruto is denying him the chance to have an ANC legislator in his own home turf and appealed to UDA to consider withdrawing Mr Siloya from the parliamentary race.
“Let us, therefore, respect each other and observe boundaries because these numbers are very crucial in the coming days. We shall not get the 70 per cent if we do not have our own governors, senators, MPs and MCAs,” Mudavadi appealed.
Responding to the unfolding events, UDA chairman Johnstone Muthama maintained that UDA will actively seek to capture as many seats as possible, noting that the only seat that all Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties agreed on is that of the presidency.
“Our coalition is based on supporting the presidential candidate, not on supporting each other’s candidates. Those claiming that they are being discriminated against are mistaken,” Muthama explained.
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