UDA Party, one of the anchor political outfits of Kenya Kwanza coalition that is fronting Deputy President William Ruto as its presidential candidate in the 2022 Kenya General Elections, has accused President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Government of ‘continued harassment of UDA aspirants’.
In a terse worded statement released on 17th March 2022 by the party’s National Elections Board, signed by its Chairman Eng. Anthony Mwaura, UDA goes into specifics naming to shame top government officials from the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination – PS Karanja Kibicho and CS Dr. Fred Matiang’i as the masterminds of harassment of UDA aspirants by state agencies.
Full Text of statement.
PUBLIC STATEMENT BY NATIONAL ELECTIONS BOARD ON CONTINUED HARASSMENT OF UDA ASPIRANTS
The United Democratic Alliance has noted with concern and dismay the underhand illegal tactics being deployed by the depleted and desperate Jubilee Party through government agencies to dissuade our aspirants from contesting in the August election.
These deplorable acts are being orchestrated mainly in Mount Kenya region, Kisii and Nyamira Counties. Kirinyaga County, for example, home to Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, has seen coordinated harassments of UDA aspirants for gubernatorial, senate, Women Representative and Member of County Assembly positions. The intimidation has taken the form of arrests, accusations of tax evasion, trumped up criminal charges and use of fake opinion polls.
The most egregious act happened on Wednesday 9th March 2022, when Majority Leader Hon. Kamau Murango the Kerugoya MCA and senate aspirant was arrested from his Embu home, driven to Nairobi DCI headquarters and questioned up to 2 a.m the next day. Pointedly Hon. Murango was accused of forging documents in 2020, this despite him stating that he had the original documents. Police were later to tell him to switch his political side to Jubilee Party so that his tribulations could end, a request he declined and consequently he was asked to be reporting to DCI headquarters once a week.
Several UDA MCA aspirants from Kirinyaga have been called and coerced to join Party. They have been promised money and logistical support. The aspirants have pointed out to one time Personal Assistant to Kibicho, one Allister Murimi, who is now a state officer as a commissioner at National Land Commission as the mastermind to the intimidation efforts. Mwea MP Kabinga wa Thayu and his Kirinyaga counterpart Munene Wambugu are also participating in these acts of lawlessness.
They have also told aspirants that there will be widespread state orchestrated violence during UDA nominations in Mt Kenya region and therefore, it was in the aspirants best interests to decamp to Jubilee. In Kiambu and Murang’a counties aspirants are being lured with money to decamp from UDA and failure to change their political allegiance are threatened with arrest and taken to court on fictitious charges.
We re1nnd Commissioner Murimi and his puppet masters that the people of Mt Kenya have already decided the political direction they want to follow and the aspirants are just responding to the wishes of the people. Jubilee is on its death bed and no amount of threats and coercion will resusci1ate the party.
In Nyamira and Kisii Interior and National Coordination Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has been intimidating UDA aspirants and denying them permission to hold public meetings. The aspirants live in fear because the CS through the provincial administration has ensured that they are constantly harassed.
There has also been what appears as coordinated attacks against UDA women aspirants across the counÂtry. Kilifi Woman Representative Aisha Jumwa, who is running for Kilifi Governor seat, Nakuru senator Susan Kihika who is vying for Governor, Kiambu woman representative Gathoni Wamuchomba, who is going for Githunguri parliamentary and Laikipia Woman Representative Cate Waruguru Who is contesting for Laikipia West Constituency have seen their billboards vandalized.
The Party has seen highest number of women express interest in its ticket and its unfortunate Jubilee is orchestrating a drawback on these democratic gains.
UDA condemns, in the strongest terms possible, these cases of intimidation, which have no space in a democratic country.
The choice to belong to a political party one wishes to be in is protected by the constitution and threats and intimidation should not be used to persuade aspirants to join a political formation they do not want.
UDA lawyers will defend any aspirant who is harassed by these criminal gang.
– End of statement –