The United Democratic Alliance blocked the members of the fourth estate from covering a section of proceedings at the party’s National Delegates Conference at Moi Sports Centre Kasarani on Tuesday, March 15.
Details of Ruto's meeting with UDA delegates after media was kicked out [Video]
Media was kicked out of the ceremony shortly after DP Ruto arrived
Deputy President William Ruto at the UDA National Delegates Conference at Kasarani
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Members of the media were asked to leave the ceremony just after Deputy President William Ruto, who was endorsed as the UDA presidential candidate, arrived.
"Just as we had announced before, that, once the 'fifth president' (DP William Ruto) comes in, we will ask members of the media to leave us for a moment. The media are required to leave the room before we proceed with our program," MC Jessy, the master of ceremony told the media.
Speaking after the ceremony, former CS Charles Keter said that journalists were asked to leave so that UDA members could talk about inhouse matters.
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“I can say those are in-house procedures and the National Executive Council was giving us a report on the endorsement of Ruto to be our party leader of UDA and also unveiling him to be the presidential flagbearer and this was the first NDC ever for the party,” Keter said.
The two meetings were intended to reveal the party officials as well as to ratify the party's programme in accordance with its constitution.
After the closed door meetings, the organisers allowed media continue live coverage as guests who are not members of UDA started streaming.
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, Ford Kenya's Moses Wetangula, Chama Cha Kazi's Moses Kuria, Wakenya Tujibebe's William Kabogo and Jimmi Wanjigi are some of the guests who attended the event.
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Deputy President William Ruto at the UDA National Delegates Conference at Kasarani
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Martha Karua says she’ll not attend UDA NDC
On Monday evening, Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua refuted claims by UDA officials that she would be attending the party’s National Delegates Conference.
Karua, via her verified Twitter account termed reports that she was on UDA’s guestlist as fake.
“Citizen TV stop sensational reporting and tell viewers the truth that I am not attending UDA NDC,” she reacted to a news story in Twitter.
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The reports were started by Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki who mentioned the former Justice Minister as one of the expected attendees.
Her mention seemed to be an indirect invitation attend to the UDA NDC.
“Tomorrow [today] will be a game-changing and historic day because the largest party in the country will unveil its presidential candidate, who is DP Ruto.
“We expect leaders from our partner parties to be present as our guests because our party leader has been a guest in some of their events. We expect the leader of ANC party, Mr Mudavadi, Ford Kenya’s Wetang’ula, and the honourable Martha Karua of Narc Kenya. We expect other guests, but we will not tell you their names right now,” Kindiki said in a media briefing.
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