The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has termed as “mere theatrics” the decision by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to resign from the ruling party.

In a statement, UDA Party says that it officially removed Gachagua as its Deputy Party Leader, which automatically revoked his membership.

Gachagua, in a lengthy statement on Monday, May 12, officially resigned from the President William Ruto-led party, saying the its campaign manifesto was a lie and no nation can be built on a litany of lies. 

“By a copy of this letter, you are notified that I have officially resigned from the UDA Party with immediate effect,” Gachagua said. “I have made this decision in knowledge of the ideals of the Party we believed in and so were millions of Kenyans, but now has turned out as the most dangerous political moment for the people and the Republic of Kenya in retrogressive philosophy of unfit class to govern our Nation.”

Gachagua also accused the UDA Party of exhausting and wasting a Kenyan moment to take off economically, socially and politically.

“It will be recalled that, while affirming the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto, our Presidential Candidate then (in 2022), said, ‘It is my firm conviction that the unity, stability and prosperity of our country lies not in the greatness of men but in the strength of our institutions. Our United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party is founded on the ideology that the national aspirations-justice, peace, freedom, prosperity that we pray for, as we sing our national anthem, is a covenant that binds us to political inclusion and economic empowerment of all Kenyans.’ As a party, and millions of Kenyans, we believed and trusted him and this statement. It was a lie. No nation can be built on a litany of lies,” Gachagua noted.

Inconsequential and good riddance!

However, UDA maintains that Gachagua’s ‘resignation is inconsequential, null and void.

“Your belated resignation is a futile attempt to rewrite the facts of your incompetence arising from your inability to understand and execute the mandate of your office. You distinguished yourself as the worst of the tribal bigots to hold such high office in Kenya. I am sure Kenya will never again have your likes in national leadership; Never!” UDA Party Secretary-General Hassan Omar said in a rejoinder.

Through Gachagua’s resignation, UDA says “the Party has now fully offloaded a toxic, archaic, polarizing and viscous individual who continues to attempt to tear down the fabric of the nation.”

Omar further slams Gachagua for not internalising Kenya Kwanza’s manifesto of progressive socio-economic transformation agenda.

“Those of your likes, beholden to medieval ethno-feudal class domination of the masses are steadily drowning in the deep waters of national rebirth. As a tribal bigot immersed in the fog of political shortsightedness, you certainly did not appreciate the quiet revolution eroding tribe and class to afford the masses dignity as per the dictates of our constitutional order.”

By virtue of his Gachagua’s impeachment through Parliament, Omar says the UDA Government got rid of the worst “tribal demagogue” to hold such senior position in government in Kenya’s history.

“Though inconsequential, your public resignation from UDA is a welcome announcement to the citizens that Kenya’s most divisive character is out and that UDA will always preserve the unity of the State at any cost.”