BY ANGELA R. KIURA
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party officials have dismissed a group of recent defectors led by former National Executive Council (NEC) member Joshua Kanake, branding them as impostors and political opportunists with no ties to the party’s current leadership.
Speaking on Friday in Embu, UDA County Coordinator Lawrence Kamugane asserted that the party remains stable and unaffected by the defections.
He emphasized that those claiming to leave the party were neither registered members nor recognized by UDA headquarters.
“We are the bona fide members of UDA. Those individuals are unknown to our structures and are trying to destabilize the party for political mileage,” Kamugane said.
UDA’s Mount Kenya East Regional Manager Albert Njeru echoed the sentiment, accusing Kanake of impersonation and misleading the public.
READ ALSO: Mass walkout rocks Ruto’s UDA in Embu over betrayal claims
He clarified that some of the individuals had already exited the party in 2022, making the recent announcement irrelevant.
“It is misleading to say they are defecting again in 2025 when they have not been part of UDA for years,” Njeru stated.
Njeru, who also serves as Tharaka-Nithi County Coordinator, affirmed Kamugane’s legitimacy and dismissed rival claims to UDA’s Embu leadership as fraudulent.
“The individual claiming to be Embu Coordinator is a conman. His name is not in our register, and he has held no official position since 2022,” he said.
Adding her voice to the rebuttal, UDA National Chairperson Cecily Mbarire rubbished the defectors’ claims of betrayal, exclusion, and unfulfilled promises by the ruling party.
She stated that Kanake had been part of the national team and had received notifications and attended all official meetings.
“He was involved and informed every step of the way,” Mbarire said, noting that Kanake’s own home area was currently benefiting from a tarmacked road project. “He and his group are simply lying to the public.”
Mbarire who is also the Governor of Embu County maintained that UDA remains committed to its development agenda and unity, dismissing the defectors as politically irrelevant.
He reassured supporters that UDA structures across Embu, Meru, and Tharaka-Nithi counties remain strong and unified, likening the party’s cohesion to “ugali” and “chewing gum stuck together.”
Njeru added that the party is engaging with the Communist Party of China for political benchmarking and institutional strengthening.
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