President William Ruto's allies in Mt Kenya are downplaying a growing wave of defections from the ruling UDA party, saying the departures will not derail his reelection bid in 2027. The developments have exposed difficulties facing UDA as it seeks to rebuild support in a region that overwhelmingly backed Ruto in 2022. Allies of the President, however, disagree with conclusions that the ruling party faces imminent mass exits.
Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi said the anticipated mass exodus from the ruling party had not materialized, describing the movement of politicians between parties as normal during an election cycle. "We are not worried at all. If you look at how it was hyped that there would be mass exodus, we are yet to see that. People have not gone that way," Wamumbi said. He added that one or two politicians will automatically move, but not to the extent that was predicted.
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge also dismissed the defections as individual decisions that should not be interpreted as a broader revolt against the President. "At this point in time, I have only seen [Githunguri MP Gathoni] Wamuchomba, but even then, she had defected and came back. It is not a yardstick or an indicator that there is movement," he said. Mathenge said that no political formation was immune to defections, pointing to the movement of politicians across both government and opposition parties.
Mwea MP Mary Maingi said politicians who had delivered on their promises to constituents had little reason to fear the political wave, arguing that parties were merely vehicles for seeking elective office. "Anyone without a stand is a person who can fall for anything. There is no cause for alarm. A party is a vehicle to take where you are going. As long as you have worked for your people, you will not be shaken by the wave," she said.
Despite the confidence expressed by the President's allies, a string of departures involving leaders who were previously associated with his political camp has raised concerns. On Friday, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja, popularly known as Keroche, defected from UDA to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's DCP, declaring that she would challenge Governor Susan Kihika in 2027. Her move came a day after Wamuchomba announced that she would neither support nor campaign for Ruto nor defend her seat on a UDA ticket.
Karanja said her decision followed consultations with voters who, she claimed, felt betrayed by the government they had helped elect. "I want to tell my party leader, I have listened to the ground and the people have told me they had a lot of expectations from this government. They woke up early to vote for this government but they haven’t what they were promised," she said. Several other politicians are weighing their options, with two MPs from Mt Kenya and Nakuru signaling their intention to leave the President's camp.
The defections have exposed the difficulties facing politicians who switched allegiance after Gachagua's impeachment and are now reassessing their positions as the political mood shifts. Pundits say that for UDA, the challenge is not simply to retain MPs and governors, but to restore its relationship with voters following the fallout between Ruto and Gachagua. Lawyer Kibe Mungai said the movement away from the ruling party could intensify over the coming months, arguing that political leaders are responding to growing public dissatisfaction.
Key points
- Defections from UDA are not a cause for alarm, according to President Ruto's allies in Mt Kenya.
- The movement of politicians between parties is normal during an election cycle, said Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi.
- Several politicians are weighing their options, with two MPs from Mt Kenya and Nakuru signaling their intention to leave the President's camp.
