UDA vows to penetrate ODM’s Siaya stronghold

Siaya Tuesday May 9 2023

KNA by Philip Onyango 

The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has vowed to penetrate Siaya County that is perceived to be its major rival, Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM) stronghold. 

According to the UDA party coordinator in Siaya, Fredrick Oyugi Dor, their forays into the county for membership recruitment drives has sent jitters amongst local ODM leadership who are threatening the ruling party grassroots operatives in the area. 

“There are people who are going round saying that we cannot go to some areas to conduct our activities,” said Dor who was speaking at Ambira high school grounds when the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo toured the area. 

Dor, a former parliamentary aspirant in Ugunja, said that Kenya was a democratic state whose constitution guarantees the freedom of association and movement hence those feeling that the ruling party members have no place in Siaya were undemocratic. 

He said that in any case, more than 160,000 voters casted their votes in favour of United Democratic Movement (UDM) candidates in Siaya, an indicator that they had no trust of ODM leadership. 

“These people must remember that during the last election, over 160,000 voters voted for UDM in Siaya,” he said adding that this was the block that UDA was targeting first during their membership recruitment drives. 

Dor said that UDA was targeting to recruit over 300,000 members in Siaya County by the end of the year and urged local residents to join the ruling party. 

Cabinet secretary Eliud Owalo said the time for empty politics was over, adding that the Kenya Kwanza government, led by President William Ruto was committed to changing the lives of  Kenyans through focused leadership. 

Owalo, who was flanked by former Kisumu governor, Jack Ranguma and former senator, Rose Nyamunga, said that the government was committed to revamping key economic sectors in Nyanza region so as to uplift the socio economic lives of the residents. 

“We will not engage in empty politicking. If we will politic in this region, it will be about helping Mwananchi,” he said. 

Courtesy; K.N.A