United Democratic Alliance (Kenya)

United Democratic Alliance
AbbreviationUDA
LeaderWilliam Ruto
ChairpersonCecily Mutitu Mbarire
Secretary-GeneralHassan Omar Hassan
Governing bodyNational Executive Committee of the United Democratic Party
SpokespersonHassan Omar Hassan
Deputy Party LeaderKithure Kindiki
Senate majority leaderAaron Cheruiyot
National Assembly majority leaderKimani Ichungwah
First TreasurerJapheth Nyakundi
FounderHillary Yegon
FoundedDecember 2020 (UDA) February 2012 (POA)
Preceded byParty of Development and Reforms
HeadquartersHustler Plaza, Ngong Road
Nairobi, Kenya
NewspaperMuungano
Youth wingComrades chapter [1]
Women's wingNational Women Congress [2]
National affiliationKenya Kwanza
Colours (Official)
(Customary)
SloganKazi ni Kazi ("Work Is Work.")
Parliamentary groupParliamentary Group
Party ConferenceNational Delegates Congress (NDC)
National Assembly
144 / 349
Senate
32 / 67
Governors
22 / 47
Website
uda.ke

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is the current ruling political party in Kenya. Their slogan is "Kazi ni Kazi" (A job is a job; All hustles matter)[3] and their symbol is a wheelbarrow. The party, initially called the Party of Development and Reforms, officially changed its name to UDA in December 2020.[4] The party became notable in January 2021,[5][6] and is allied with William Ruto,[7] the President of Kenya.[8][9]

The party fielded candidates in March 2021 by-elections.[10][11] UDA nominated Ruto in the 2022 Kenyan general election, after he announced that he would leave the Jubilee Party in late 2021. Ruto picked Rigathi Gachagua as his running mate for the elections.[12]

In the 2022 general elections, UDA was able to garner 22 out of 47 seats in the Senate and 138 of the elected members of the National Assembly.[13] The party uses a wheelbarrow as the party's symbol which stands for "worth, respect, and dignity of work in pursuit of an unbiased society".[14] UDA is a member of Kenya Kwanza.[15] Kenya Kwanza is the ruling coalition movement in Kenya.

History

The party was established as the Party of Action (POA) in February 2012 by Hillary Yegon in order to contest the 2013 general elections.[16] It later formed an electoral pact with the Kenya National Congress (KNC) for the 2013 general elections,[17] which was formalised as the Eagle Alliance. The alliance nominated the KNC's Peter Kenneth as its presidential candidate. In the elections Kenneth finished fourth in the presidential contest with 0.6% of the vote. The Party of Action failed to win a parliament, receiving less than 0.05% of the vote.

Prior to the 2017 general elections, the party was renamed as Party of Development and Reforms (PDR), sometimes seen as the Party of Reforms and Development. In the elections the PDR endorsed incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta,[18] also winning four seats in the National Assembly and one in the Senate.[19][20]

It officially changed its name to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in December 2020.[21]

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election Party candidate Running mate Votes % Result
2013
(as Party of Action – POA)
Peter Kenneth Ronald Osumba 72,786 0.60% Lost
2017
(as Party of Development and Reforms – PDR)
None (endorsed Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee) Won
2022
(as United Democratic Alliance – UDA)
William Ruto Rigathi Gachagua 7,176,141 50.49% Won

Senate elections

Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position
2013
(as Party of Action – POA)
Peter Kenneth 5,108 0.04%
0 / 67
0
2017
(as Party of Development and Reforms – PDR)
1 / 67
1
2022
(as United Democratic Alliance – UDA)
William Ruto
32 / 67
31 1st

National Assembly elections

Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position
2013
(as Party of Action – POA)
Peter Kenneth Constituency 2,675 0.02%
0 / 349
0
County
2017
(as Party of Development and Reforms – PDR)
Constituency 67,515 0.45%
4 / 349
4
County 225,557 1.49%
2022
(as United Democratic Alliance – UDA)
William Ruto Constituency 5,417,665 38.29%
145 / 349
141 1st
County 4,942,301 34.93%

References

  1. ^ "UDA Party took it's fourth round of the Comrades Chapter to Kisumu City, where it engaged university and tertiary college students on a raft of issues of their interests". United Democratic Alliance. 14 October 2024. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  2. ^ "UDA National Women Congress Resolutions". uda.ke. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  3. ^ "About Us – United Democratic Alliance". Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  4. ^ Ng'etich, Jacob. "Ruto-allied party seeks change of identity". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  5. ^ KTN News. "DP Ruto allies launch United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party". YouTube.
  6. ^ Keter, Gideon. "Hustlers' march: Inside UDA's grand roadmap to 2022". The Star. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  7. ^ Kibor, Fred. "Rift MPs: Ruto will use UDA to contest for presidency in 2022". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  8. ^ "William Ruto is declared Kenya's next president". The Economist. August 18, 2022. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Abuso, Victor (2021-01-14). "Kenya: Has Deputy President Ruto joined the new UDA Party?". The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  10. ^ KTN News. "DP Ruto's Next Party: Ruto's allies hint he will use UDA | Inside Politics with Ben Kitili". YouTube.
  11. ^ Nyamori, Jacob Ngetich and Moses. "Battle lines drawn as UDA fields candidates in by-elections". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  12. ^ "Kenya elections 2022: William Ruto picks Rigathi Gachagua as running mate". BBC News. 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  13. ^ "UDA, ODM to get lion's share of nomination slots in Parliament". Citizen Digital. 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  14. ^ "United Democratic Alliance – kazi ni kazi". Archived from the original on 2022-07-01. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  15. ^ Nash (2022-12-01). "Apply for the Hustler Fund Loan via your phone (USSD 254)". nashthuo.com. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  16. ^ Raphael Tuju’s Party of Action wins first trophy in the long race to State House] Daily Nation, 18 February 2012
  17. ^ Kenneth signs pact with Tuju 5 December 2012
  18. ^ Why Uhuru has accepted small parties’ support Archived 2020-08-07 at the Wayback Machine The Star, 10 April 2017
  19. ^ National Assembly: Last election IPU
  20. ^ Senate: Last election IPU
  21. ^ Ng'etich, Jacob. "Ruto-allied party seeks change of identity". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-02-08.