Mvurya, Coast MPs allied to Ruto root for six-piece voting

President William Ruto is welcomed at KICC for Kalasha Awards by Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya. [PCS]

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and several Coast legislators allied to President William Ruto’s UDA party yesterday rooted for a six-piece voting pattern for the ruling coalition candidates in all elective positions in the next general election.

The CS, Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, Taita Taveta Woman representative Lydia Haika and Taveta MP John Bwire drummed up support for Dr Ruto's re-election and at the same time rooted for a six-piece voting pattern to all UDA candidates in the region that has overwhelmingly been voting for the opposition.

Undeterred by the ODM's demands for the 2027 coalition talks with UDA, Mvurya and the legislators declared that the Coast region was no longer an opposition zone and the ruling coalition would field candidates in all elected positions next year.

The leaders declared that they are out to strengthen the party at the grassroots level in areas they did not get enough political support in the last polls, like Taita Taveta, to popularise President Ruto’s re-election bid and a six-piece voting pattern for UDA ahead of the next polls.

“Coast region will be our strong base in 2027, and that is why we are strategizing, building and strengthening the party in the Coast region ahead of the next polls,” stated Mvurya.

Mvurya and his team were speaking at St Johns High School playing grounds in Wundanyi constituency during the community empowerment programme and UDA grassroots sensitization forums.

Mvurya, Baya and Bwire endorsed Governor Andrew Mwadime and Haika, who has declared interest in the Senate position.

He also endorsed former legislator Joyce Lay for county woman representative, parliamentary loser Simon Mwachia, and Mombasa businessman Anthony Maghanga Mtongolo for the Wundanyi Constituency parliamentary and Mgange-Mwanda MCA seats respectively as UDA’s candidates, locking out other potential candidates like former Governors Granton Samboja and John Mruttu.

Both Samboja and Mruttu have declared interests in the gubernatorial seat on the UDA party ticket

The six-piece declaration comes as the ODM party is currently navigating intense internal and external debates regarding zoning, the strategy of designating specific regions for specific coalition partners to contest in the 2027 general election.

This push, largely aimed at strengthening its partnership with the ruling UDA alliance under the broad-based government.

Baya said they will continue advocating for the six-piece voting pattern in the region for the benefit of UDA which has already made inroads in the Coast, once regarded as an opposition zone.

“We have come here today to sensitize Taita Taveta residents to support the re-election of Ruto and advocate for the six-piece voting method so as to have a strong bargaining power in the government to be formed by Dr Ruto,” said the deputy majority leader.