Revolt in UDA as Nyali MP, Mungatana, Dado poke holes in grassroots polls

Nyali MP Mohamed Ali accuses UDA officials of interference in the grassroots elections. [File, Standard] President William Ruto's UDA party is facing a revolt at the Coast with a section of leaders threatening to defect over alleged sham grassroots elections. Nyali MP Mohamed Ali, Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana, and former Tana River Governor Hussein Dado have said they will walk out of the party if the elections aimed at picking new leadership are not repeated. Speaking separately, Ali and Mungatana said the grassroots polls were interfered with by UDA officials from the national office. In Tana River, Mungatana claimed that the party's registration was altered at the last minute to add new members with instructions to vote them out. The MP and senator who are loyal supporters of the president claimed that the polls were micromanaged by the party Secretary General Hassan Omar. However, a section of the UDA party members maintain that the grassroots elections were peaceful and fair and accused Ali of allegedly not being committed to the party. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ali said he is on the verge of quitting the party, citing frustrations and leadership inefficiency. He accused the party organs of subverting the people's will in the grassroots elections. Ali said he is ready to face new opponents in the 2027 General Election under a new umbrella. "We will have to part ways because nobody is listening to our plea," he said. The Nyali MP accused Omar of imposing preferred candidates and rallied his supporters to boycott the grassroots elections over alleged lack of transparency. "It is a wake-up call for UDA to put its house in order because this problem is all over, and by the time we are done with the grassroots elections, we will be having problems," said Ali. The MP claimed that since UDA won the elections, party issues have been forgotten, and people are focused on undermining others. "If we are not careful, this party will be destroyed by the time we reach 2027, and there will be no party," said Ali. Ali claimed that there has been public outcry over rogue elements rocking the party from within but nothing has been done. The MP said the expectations were very high, but the party has not delivered the development the public was looking forward to. "What was in our manifesto, we have not delivered. Can we pull up our socks to deliver these promises before 2027? Better late than never," said Ali. The MP has taken a back seat in party matters, including failing to support the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Ali posted on his X handle: "I have carefully read the charges in the impeachment motion against the DP. In good faith, do not support this cause of action and find it ill-intentioned, seeking to demonise a public servant who has contributed immensely to this great country." He claims that the party secretary general referred to him as the guy for Munyoro. Ali said that there is no harm in having a friend and Gachagua was part and parcel of the UDA team and he campaigned for the party despite having many options on the table. "I was first elected MP as an independent, and then in the second term I won through UDA, and I am here telling them that nothing is stopping us from moving forward. If you think that the party is your property, we will go through other means," he said According to political analyst Maimuna Mwidau, Ali's exit will have a great impact on the party, being the only UDA-elected MP in Mombasa. "He will exit with his voters wherever he goes, and UDA will have lost those votes. He was able to bring UDA into ODM strong and turf," said Mwidau. Mungatana, the County Assembly Speaker and former Governor Dadho also said they will boycott the elections. The senator accused National Elections Board Chair Anthony Mwaura and Jimmy Kahindi of meddling with elections. Mungatana accused the election chair of meddling with the elections. He said there was no transparency. "If as the only UDA senator and Speaker in the entire Coast, we are sidelined, we are telling our supporters to boycott the elections. We are telling Mwaura and Kahindi, the National Elections Board Chair, sent to oversee the elections in Tana River, If you wanted the voters, why shift expenses on us?" Posed Mungatana. The senator said UDA should reimburse them for the funds used to register voters and campaign in Nairobi for an entire week, trying to beat the election timeline of March 26, 2025. "We are telling our supporters to boycott this election because it is not transparent and there are plans to rig votes and justify a false narrative in Tana River. We shall not accept the results nor recognise any party holder in UDA, and we shall not work with them," said Mungatana. Dado said that Tana River elections will not be determined by outsiders from other counties who seek to install their preferred candidates for 2027. "Our people know their genuine leaders who work with the people. If you want to give other parties an upper hand by disrupting one of ours, go ahead," he said. He asked Ruto to intervene and cancel the elections to allow a transparent process. "We will stay put in the party and defend it from inside, but there will be no elections in Tana River," said Dado. However, prospective UDA party aspirants in Mombasa County led by Mutunga Wambua defended the party saying the grassroots elections were transparent and peaceful. Wambua, who is eyeing the Mombasa secretary general position, said that UDA is well represented at the Coast by Owen Baya in Kilifi, Omar in Mombasa and Issa Timmamy in Lamu. He faulted Ali for using the wrong channel to air his disgruntlement over the grassroots elections and said Ali could walk out of the party if he so wished, but the supporters would remain intact. "Ali has said he will get out while accusing Omar of micromanaging UDA. Why did he not use the right channel?" said Wambua. Mombasa Women Rep aspirant Fatma Baryani claimed that Ali wants to join Gachagua and has his reasons for quitting UDA. Baryani alleged that the Nyali MP was disgruntled after Omar was appointed national party secretary general. "Ali wants to get out for his reasons, and he has been a political tourist. He wants to join Rigathi. So he should stop accusing SG of sabotaging the party affairs, yet he has brought in more numbers since he was appointed SG," she said.

Revolt in UDA as Nyali MP, Mungatana, Dado poke holes in grassroots polls

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