UDA raids PAA, Jubilee in coast as leaders join President Ruto's side

Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime before the Senate at Bunge Towers, Nairobi on March 10, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, Mwatate MP Peter Shake and Chawia Ward Representative Joseph Mabishi yesterday joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Mr Mwadime, Shake and Mabishi vowed to lead President William Ruto's two-term slogan, signalling increased attraction of Coast leaders to the UDA party.

On Monday, Pamoja Africa Alliance (PAA) secretary general, who is also Ganze MP Kenneth Tungule, formally joined UDA days after Kinango MP Ngozi Rai and his Rabai counterpart Kenga Mpe joined UDA from PAA. Earlier, former Cabinet Minister Aisha Jumwa also defected from PAA to UDA.

Yesterday, Mwadime, Shake and Mabish were received into the ruling coalition by Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki in Mwatate town after inspecting several development projects.

The governor won the gubernatorial election as an independent candidate, while MP Shake and MCA Mabishi won the Jubilee Party ticket under the Azimio La Umoja Coalition.

Mwadime said the president has worked for all Kenyans and deserved two terms to complete his development projects.

“We have seen a lot of development programmes, like roads, water, and markets, among others, being implemented by Kenya Kwanza. Like-minded politicians and I will spearhead President Ruto's two-term campaign in the region,” the governor told the DP.

“Since Kenya attained its independence, we have not seen a government with a soft spot for development in the local community. The President needs a second chance,” Mwasdime told the rally.

Addressing a political rally at Mwataste bus stop, Professor Kindiki urged Mwashako to abandon the united opposition and join the government.

He warned the Wiper party legislator that he will be politically irrelevant in 2027 politics if he continues supporting and associating himself with the former deputy president, Gachagua.

They noted that the former DP had insulted small tribes like the Taita and Taveta when he introduced the government of shares' narrative that excluded smaller tribes.

“We are telling Mr Mwashako to abandon the united opposition and instead support President Ruto’s re-election campaign for his political survival; failure to do so and he will lose in the 2027 polls,” Kindiki warned Mwashako, who has declared interest in the gubernatorial seat in next year’s polls.

“We are challenging the opposition legislator to join hands with other leaders in supporting President Ruto’s government that is working for all Kenyans, irrespective of party affiliation,” he told Mwashako, who joined him in inspecting the road but skipped his political rally to drum up support for President Ruto’s re-election.

Earlier, Mwashako and Voi MP Abdi Chome had vowed to lead one-term campaigns against the president.

County Woman Representative Lydia Haika and Taveta legislator John Bwire told ODM that the seat for the DP was not vacant and should be kept out of the debate.

They said they will not allow the negotiations between UDA and ODM to centre on the DP’s position, which is already being occupied by Professor Kindiki until 2032.

“President Ruto and his deputy president will go together in next year’s polls, and the much-anticipated negotiations between UDA and ODM should not touch the position of Professor Kindiki,” warned Haika.

Bwire told the DP to tell the president that the local community is fully supporting his re-election due to his development track record.

“The government has achieved 93 per cent in terms of development implementation programmes in the region, like electricity connectivity, modern markets, and affordable housing, and there was no cause to worry, as the local community is convinced that the government has done a lot to change the lives of the locals,” he told the rally.

At the same time, Kindiki took to task senior officials of the construction company for delaying the construction of the Sh2.1 billion roads that link the Mwatate and Wundanyi constituencies.

He disclosed that the Chinese company, Stecol Corporation, was working in a sluggish way while farmers were suffering due to the poor state of the road.

He said since May 2025, when the contractor started work, only a five-kilometre section of the 55-kilometre road has been tarmacked, yet he has already been paid Sh800 million.

“The road is supposed to take less than two years, but if we are not careful enough, the contractor will take 10 years to complete the road project,” noted the DP after inspecting the road.

One of the construction company officials, however, told Kindiki that the road terrain was hilly, hence slowing down the construction. Professor Kindiki directed the construction company officials to form two camps to fast-track the quick implementation of the project.

He said one of the camps should start work at the Mto-Wa-Mwagodi-Msau-Mbale-Wundanyi section, while the other team is in Bura-Mgange-Werugha-Wundanyi.

“I will inspect the road in 10 weeks, and I will want the instructions followed and adhered to," said the DP.