Uda Rejects Odm Zoning Proposal

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The UDA brigade at the Coast have once again rejected the zoning idea being pushed by their ODM counterparts saying each party should show their own muscle.

Speaking at Burhani sports ground in Mombasa during a UDA sensitization forum, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, who led the brigade, said UDA will call for zoning saying the party has done a good enough job to warrant re-election for any of its candidates.

UDA he said, has 16,000 aspirants across the country and no one will be refused a chance to vie for any seat on the basis of zoning.

“Anyone who wants to vie for any seat in any UDA stronghold is welcome to vie. There is no zoning,” Omar said.

Likewise, he said, UDA should be allowed to vie for any seat in any part of the country no matter the political inclination of the area.

“If it is your stronghold, why are you worried about another aspirant from another party?” he posed.

“If you believe residents of Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Mombasa, Lamu and Taita Taveta are your supporters, why don’t you believe in yourself?” Omar said.

He accused ODM of being biased against UDA, saying they have no problem with other parties including DCP and Wiper having candidates in Mombasa, yet they have a problem with UDA having candidates in the county.

This comes a day after ODM Deputy Party leader Abdulswamad Nassir accused the UDA brigade of undermining the broad-based arrangement.

Speaking in Dabaso, Kilifi county during the burial of Kilifi North MP Owen Baya’s mother Dorothy Baya on Monday, the Mombasa governor said he has no problem whether there is zoning or not.

His problem, he said, is with the lack of unity in the broad-based government which he said derails service delivery to the common mwananchi.

“Why don’t we, now that we are in the broad-based government, look for ways in which Sha can benefit all our people? Is it wrong for us to work together and ensure our youth get jobs?

“Despite our different political parties, can’t we work together to see how we can bring resources to our counties at the Coast?” Nassir said.

Nassir said nothing stops the Coast politicians from working together now that there is a broad-based arrangement.

“The Swahili people say, if it takes you across the ocean, don’t call it just a log. Today, we have not even crossed the ocean, already we have started branding each other logs,” Nassir said in a thinly veiled attack on the UDA brigade.

The Mombasa governor the internal wrangles within the ODM-UDA arrangement will give strength to the United Opposition.

He said some in the UDA camp think they are better than their counterparts in ODM.

“You might think, we are close to the shore, but our boat is full of water because our infighting has poked holes in the boat and it is filling up with water. Some may drown because they think they are better swimmers than others.

“What stops us from working together and saying the agenda of President William Ruto is this and this is what we support?” Nassir posed.

Nassir said the UDA brigade should concentrate with

“We have reached a point where we have left the President to push his own agenda while we are busy fighting each other,” the governor said.

On Tuesday, UDA deputy party leader Issa Timamy said there will be no zoning and those who fear their opponents will have to quit the race altogether.

“Otherwise, in UDA anyone who wants to vie for any seat anywhere in the country will have to fight for the party ticket so they can vie for the seat of their choice in any county of their choice,” the Lamu governor said.

He said ODM members are day dreaming should they think UDA will not have candidates in any part of the country.

“Democracy does not allow zoning,” he said.

“Those who want to vie for any seat through the UDA ticket should not be worried about zoning.”

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said now UDA has taken root in Mombasa and this is bringing heat in the kitchen.

He said his Pamoja African Alliance party will not have any candidate anywhere across the country.

“PAA and UDA have become one. All those who wanted to vie on PAA tickets will now vie on UDA tickets,” Kingi said.

He said in Mvita in 2022, ODM won the MP seat because PAA and UDA divided their votes, making it easy for ODM to win.

“In 2027, this will not happen. PAA and UDA will vote in one basket,” Kingi said.

Sports CS Salim Mvurya said UDA is the ruling party and that all its members must not be afraid of any other party.

He said all party members should strengthen the party by coming out in large numbers on April 23 for the party primaries in Mombasa to elect polling station party officials.

Former CS Aisha Jumwa said the only elective position that will not be contested is that of the Presidency, otherwise all candidates for all other positions will have to fight it out.

She said the death of ODM leader Raila Odinga means the Coast region is now up for grabs and that the only leader who has a following like that of Raila is President William Ruto.

“Yesterday is not today. Yesterday, the Coast region was an ODM stronghold, today that is no longer the case.

“The only basket we will defend with all our might is that of William Samoei Ruto. All other baskets down here, we will have to fight it out,” Jumwa said.