UDA Kakamega coordinator  Desmond Shinaka , Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula and Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana during a presser at Kakamega Sports Club on Monday. HILTON OTENYO

Democratic Action Party-Kenya deputy leader and Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula has officially joined the United Democratic Alliance, marking a significant realignment in western Kenya politics.

Savula on Monday registered as a UDA aspirant for the Kakamega gubernatorial race, announcing that his exit from the opposition had formally started.

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The move effectively creates the first practical UDA–ODM partnership in Kakamega, replacing DAP-K on the 2022 governor ticket that was negotiated under the Azimio coalition agreement.

In the last general election, Savula signed a joint coalition deal with Governor Fernandes Barasa, where ODM took the governor’s seat and DAP-K the DG position.

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Speaking during a public engagement on a road improvement programme in Shinyalu, Governor Barasa said the new political arrangement would strengthen their base and boost chances of securing a second term.

Barasa and Savula said the coalition formula was designed to unite ODM and UDA supporters in Kakamega county, describing it as a strategic move aimed at ensuring political stability and continuity of development projects.

“Governor Barasa is in ODM, and I, as his deputy, am joining UDA because UDA and ODM are working together,” he added.

Savula’s defection follows his appointment as deputy coordinator of President William Ruto’s Western region campaign team. He made the announcement at Kakamega Sports Club, accompanied by Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana and Kakamega county UDA administrative officer Desmond Shinaka.

Healso confirmed that he will attend a UDA aspirants’ meeting chaired by President Ruto at State House today.

Savula had previously broken ranks with DAP-K leadership during the Malava by-election in November last year, when he openly campaigned for UDA candidate David Ndakwa instead of the party’s nominee, Seth Panyako.

Ikana, who is also the Kakamega coordinator for the President’s campaign team, said 334 aspirants are expected at the State House meeting, including three gubernatorial aspirants, 10 senatorial aspirants, six woman representative aspirants, 40 MP aspirants, and more than 160 MCA aspirants across the county’s 60 wards.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

Ayub Savula’s defection to UDA signals a deepening political realignment in Western as power gravitates towards the ruling establishment ahead of 2027. By retaining Governor Barasa in ODM while positioning himself in UDA, Savula is betting on a broad-based coalition that mirrors national power-sharing dynamics. The move weakens DAP-K’s foothold in Kakamega and underscores the shrinking space for smaller parties outside government. However, the strategy carries risks: grassroots backlash, coalition fatigue, and voter skepticism over ideological fluidity. Ultimately, Savula’s gamble is less about party loyalty and more about access, influence, and electoral survival.