Inside UDA's blame game as Ol Kalou loss shakes Ruto succession battle
The ruling UDA party in Kenya is facing internal conflict following a surprise defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election. Senior party leaders are blaming each other for the loss, which has intensified the race to become President Ruto's running mate for 2027.
Why it matters
This internal power struggle highlights the fragility of political coalitions in Kenya and the high stakes of regional influence ahead of national elections.
Residents of Ol Kalou at a UDA rally ahead of the July 16 by-election which DCP won.
President William Ruto's defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election has triggered a fierce blame game within UDA. The vote outcome has exposed an intensifying struggle among senior leaders seeking to position themselves as his running mate in next year's general election.
Party insiders who spoke to t he Star said the contest had evolved into much more than a race for a parliamentary seat.
Behind the public rallies, they said, the by-election became an unofficial test of which leader could convince the President they possess the political machinery to deliver the Mt Kenya region.
Instead of demonstrating that UDA remained resilient in one of its traditional strongholds despite Ruto's bitter fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the election ended in a crushing defeat.
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