Bungoma gubernatorial aspirant Zachariah Baraza of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), has given Deputy President William Ruto seven days to refund his Ksh500,000 nomination fees over alleged partisanship in the running of party affairs.
Speaking at a rally in Bumula, Bungoma county, Baraza expressed his grievances after claiming that he was requested by top UDA officials to shelve his ambitions to vie the Bungoma Gubernatorial seat in order to pave way for Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka.
The aspirant has since announced that he would vie on an independent party ticket.
"If the DP knew that he was going to back Lusaka and ask me to shelve my bid, he should not have asked me to pay the Ksh500,000 for nomination fees."
“But right now leadership is being arranged from Deputy President William Ruto's Karen home,” he stated.
Baraza asked the DP to refund his Ksh500,000 fee - stating that it would go towards the development of schools in poor conditions within Bungoma County.
The aggrieved aspirant reminisced on Ruto's promise to his aspirants that the party would let the people decide their candidates in the nominations phase.
The now-independent candidate will square it out with Lusaka, incumbent Wycliffe Wangamati of the Democratic Alliance Party of Kenya (DAP-K), university lecturers Peter Khakina and Sophy Waliaula in the upcoming August 9 polls.
As the General Election draws near, political parties are rushing to beat the party primaries deadline that is slated for April 22, 2022.
Parties within the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja coalitions have promised a free and fair nomination process in order to field the best candidates in various elective seats.
