Deputy President William Ruto has suffered a major blow after the deputy chairperson of his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party Kipruto Arap Kirwa ditched him and joined his political nemesis Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.


Kirwa announced his defection to Raila’s side on Sunday during an Azimio coalition political rally in Sirisia, Bungoma county.

Raila Odinga received Kirwa into their faction during the event after he arrived accompanied by Azimio coalition running mate Martha Karua.

Kirwa cited the lack of democracy in the UDA party as his main reason for ditching his former boss after Ruto picked Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua as his running mate.

Read More

  1. Ruto reshuffles Cabinet, foreign missions, state agencies in sweeping realignment
  2. Kenya battles rising cyber threats with new security measures
  3. Kenya’s debt soars to Sh10.8 trillion as pressure on finances mounts

Kirwa said he retreated into soul searching after Rigathi was picked as Ruto’s running mate ahead of August and that was his turning point.

"Two weeks ago, my side appointed the person who was going to be running mate of my brother, that was the clearest indication that there is no democracy. The following day, I waited Raila Odinga  unveiled his running mate Martha Karua. It reached a point to think of what next and for those 13 days, I have been thinking how will I continue to be in a team where democracy is going to be sacrificed at the cross," Kirwa said.

The former Cherang’any MP revealed he called Karua on Saturday night to inquire where she would be on Sunday.

Kirwa proclaimed his resignation from the position of UDA vice chairperson during the Sirisia event.

"Last night, I called Martha Karua to ask where she will be today and she said she will be in Bungoma and Bungoma is the neighbour of Trans Nzoia where I stay. From today I Kipruto Kirwa, I have resigned as vice chairman of UDA," Kirwa said.

Karua described Kirwa, a former Minister of Agriculture as an industrious person with whom they worked during the late, retired President Mwai Kibaki’s tenure.


"I know my brother Kipruto Kirwa as a hardworking person. We were with him in the Kibaki government and he was in charge of Agriculture," Karua said.

DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa said Kirwa’s decamping is clear that the UDA party will lose the August election and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition will carry the day.