NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 22 – The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on Thursday petitioned the Registrar of Political Parties disputing a notice of intention by Jubilee Party to dissolve a coalition agreement with the Party for Development and reforms (PDR) which rebranded to UDA.
While protesting the move, UDA Secretary General Veronica Maina said the coalition parties will explore alternative dispute resolution methods including arbitration to resolve the matter.
“The relevant organs of the Coalition parties shall undertake the appropriate arbitration processes in a bid to resolve the dispute and update you on the outcome,” she stated.
Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju in his letter on Tuesday explained that the move to seek dissolution was occasioned by the prevailing political and legal hurdles facing the coalition.
According to Tuju, Jubilee found itself as a “strange bedfellow with UDA especially with use of its identity as ‘hustlers’ which he termed as having negative dictionary meaning and connotation.”
Tuju further accused UDA of fielding candidates against Jubilee Party candidates and alleged references by some UDA members to Jubilee in derogatory terms even in the public domain making it impossible to engage in any coalition-building discourse.
The United Democratic Alliance came into limelight in January after links with Deputy President William Ruto and his allies emerged.
The party has so far fielded candidates in various by-elections and won one MP seat and another MCA seat.
Tuju said in the run up to the 2017 elections, Jubilee entered into a pact with PDR in the counties of West pokot, Wajir, Isiolo, Garissa and Mandela where the Party had experienced the challenge of clan guided democracy.
Among legislators elected on PDR ticket include Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, who is the Deputy Majority leader and Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi.
