The united opposition has failed to agree on a single candidate to face the UDA candidate in the Ol Kalou MP by-election.
On Saturday, DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua announced that all parties within their outfit will field their own candidates in the race, dismissing the need for a single-party arrangement.
” We have decided that each constituent party within the United Opposition will field a candidate and compete among ourselves. It will be friendly fire; UDA is not a threat in any way,” the former DP said.
Gachagua explained that this decision was reached after realizing that they lacked a strong challenge from President William Ruto’s UDA party in the constituency.
“We have no opposition in Ol Kalou. The UDA is finished…It will be friendly fire; UDA is not a threat in any way.”
However, credible sources within the united opposition revealed that the coalition’s failure to agree on a joint candidate was the real reason behind the decision.
Despite branding themselves as a united front, internal disagreements have led to the parties fielding their own candidates in the seat, a risk that may hand the UDA party victory if the opposition vote is split between Jubilee, DCP, and PLP candidates.
The Jubilee Party, which previously held the Ol Kalou seat, had called on its partners to rally behind its candidate, arguing that the seat rightfully belonged to them, an appeal which appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
Days later, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) announced that it would also field a candidate in the by-election.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, April 21, DCP Secretary General Hezron Obaga said the party would conduct transparent nominations to select its flagbearer.
“As the National Secretary General of DCP, I wish to assure our supporters in Ol Kalou that we will conduct free, fair, and transparent party nominations to identify our candidate for the upcoming by-election,” said Obaga.
He added that DCP was ready to face off with the Jubilee Party if it decided to field a candidate.
Meanwhile, People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has also unveiled her party’s candidate for the same seat, further fueling speculations of a widening rift within the opposition.
The Ol Kalou by-election is expected to be a closely watched race, with the fractured opposition facing an uphill task against the ruling UDA, which remains united behind its candidate.
