UPIA Party led by Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani, has dismissed reports that a section of its leaders have defected from Azimio la Umoja to Kenya Kwanza.
UPIA - which was formed by Northern Kenya leaders to champion for interests of the region - noted that a section of its leaders, who visited president-elect William Ruto at his Karen residence in Nairobi, did not shift their allegiance.
Addressing the media on Saturday, August 20, the party Secretary General, Mohammed Duale, insisted that the visit to Ruto was not politically motivated.
Duale added that the members who met Ruto are still affiliated with Azimio and have no plans of defecting to Ruto's camp.
"UPIA is still part and parcel of Azimio coalition. As much as we are concerned, our members who visited Ruto are still part of Azimio coalition," Duale stated.
Defending the visit - which raised eyebrows - Moyale MP-elect, Wako Jaldesa, explained that the leaders discussed the regional development plan with Ruto.
"There was nothing fishy about visiting the Deputy President as leaders of Marsabit. There was no discussion on party hopping or shifting allegiance," Jaldesa stated.
"All we did is to discuss issues concerning Marsabit, and we went as leaders from Marsabit."
On Friday, August 19, Ruto released a statement confirming that Yakub Adow Kuno MP-elect, Bura Constituency under UPIA Party had joined Kenya Kwanza alongside Abdi Ali Abdi MP-elect Ijara of National Agenda Party of Kenya.
However, UPIA insisted that Yakub was still part of Azimio.
This comes just hours after Kenya Kwanza signed an agreement with United Democratic Movement (UDM) party led by Ali Roba.
Roba explained the move to join Kenya Kwanza insisting that they were sidelined in decision-making processes.
"Long standing unresolved issues plus gate keepers feeling threatened by the presence of partners which spilt over into elections. You can’t coerce people into loyalty. The engagement was replaced with chest-thumping," Roba's statement dated Thursday, August 18, read.
The party clinched a total of 45 seats in the just-concluded General Election. Among them is Mandera gubernatorial seat which went to Mohamed Adan, and Wajir's which Khalif Mohamud Ali won.
