According to political analyst Herman Manyora, former Agriculture Minister Kipruto Arap Kirwa’s decision to switch from Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance, UDA, to Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance may have a significant impact on the DP’s presidential bid.
According to the Expert, the defection would give the impression that Ruto is losing close allies ahead of his presidential bid in August, causing some of his supporters to defect and support Azimio.
Although Manyora admits that Kirwa may not have had grassroots support, his decision to resign as deputy chairman of the UDA and join Azimio will have a significant negative impact on Ruto’s camp.
“Politics is all about perception, and Kirwa’s action emphasizes the ‘hemorrhage.’ People claim that Ruto rejoiced when Governor Amason Kingi and Alfred Mutua abandoned Raila, and that it is now the turn of others to abandon him.”
“It doesn’t matter whether the person was strong or not; it’s all about perception,” Manyora said in a YouTube video. “It’s not about the numbers those people bring to those teams; it’s about the impression that person leaves your camp with.”
According to a University of Nairobi lecturer, more people would defect from Ruto’s side for Azimio, calling it a “one-way defection” and “Azimio’s day.”
