DP Willaim Ruto’s party jolts TNA by opening offices, planning recruitment drive in Central

Early this week, United Republican Party (URP) officials from Central Kenya convened a strategy meeting whose resolutions are now raising eyebrows from political observers in the region.

The strategy meeting was convened by Florence Mugure Ngugi, the URP national deputy organising secretary, who is also the party’s Kiambu County chairperson and the central region leader.

URP coordinators from Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri and Nyandarua counties and constituency delegates from the region’s 29 electoral areas attended. Speaking to journalists at a Thika hotel, Ms Ngugi said the meeting was a small housekeeping gathering aimed at taking stock of the state of the party in the region.

However, the resolutions of the meeting are now subject of discussions among local leaders and residents. Ngugi announced that the meeting had resolved to open offices in all the five counties, 29 constituencies and wards as the party moves to strengthen itself in the region. The party, she said, will also conduct a massive recruitment drive targeting five million members from the region early next year.

Party of choice

“Our main aim is to strengthen and popularise the party in Central Kenya ahead of the 2017 general election. We will traverse every village in the region to aggressively sell our ideologies to residents in order to make URP a party of choice to the majority come the election day,” she told The Standard on Sunday.

She said they have the blessing of the party leadership to carry out the exercise, and that a regional office will soon be opened in Thika town to coordinate party affairs in the region.

Already, the party’s decision has started to attract differing opinions from area leaders. Pundits say the move is bound to raise political heat since the move by Deputy President William Ruto’s party will be seen to be undermining President Uhuru Kenyatta in his own backyard.

During last year’s general election, the Jubilee coalition partners zoned regions in a bid to consolidate their support. They agreed not to field candidates in the strongholds of their partners to avoid splitting votes, thereby giving their rivals a chance.

James Mwangi, a political analyst, said the move to popularise and make URP a stronger party in TNA’s stronghold may become a headache to the ruling coalition. “The move by URP to strengthen itself in Central Kenya, however, may raise suspicion and eyebrows from the political class and residents. It will be seen as if the party is trying to eat in to the stronghold of the president,” he said.

Mwangi, however, believes it may still be too early to draw conclusions on the decision since the move may actually be innocent. He said the party may just be laying the ground for the Deputy President’s expected 2022 presidential bid.

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said there was no cause for alarm, adding that URP is a partner in Jubilee and there is no need for panic. Mr Kuria, a TNA MP, said the move is geared towards laying the ground for Mr Ruto’s stab at the presidency once President Kenyatta retires.

Independent outfit

But Gladys Chania, the Kiambu County TNA coordinator, expressed shock over the move, saying it was not expected. Ms Chania said although parties in the Jubilee coalition were independent outfits, the move may lead to friction between the ruling coalition partners.

“We welcome the party’s intended recruitment drive in the region, but let them be assured that TNA is not going to take that lying down,” said Chania.

She said TNA had begun a massive membership recruitment drive in Central to bring on board two million members from Kiambu County alone. Kiambu County ODM Secretary General Charles Mbugua said URP’s move should worry TNA. He believes the move is telling and is an indication that all may not be well between the Jubilee coalition partners.