The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is the current ruling political party in Kenya. Their slogan is "Kazi ni Kazi" (A job is a job; All hustles matter) and their symbol is a wheelbarrow. The party, initially called the Party of Development and Reforms, officially changed its name to UDA in December 2020. The party became notable in January 2021, and is allied with William Ruto, the President of Kenya.
The party fielded candidates in March 2021 by-elections. UDA nominated Ruto in the 2022 Kenyan general election, after he announced that he would leave the Jubilee Party in late 2021. Ruto picked Rigathi Gachagua as his running mate for the elections.
In the 2022 general elections, UDA was able to garner 22 out of 47 seats in the Senate and 138 of the elected members of the National Assembly. The party uses a wheelbarrow as the party's symbol which stands for "worth, respect, and dignity of work in pursuit of an unbiased society". UDA is a member of Kenya Kwanza. Kenya Kwanza is the ruling coalition movement in Kenya.
History The party was established as the Party of Action (POA) in February 2012 by Hillary Yegon in order to contest the 2013 general elections.Raphael Tuju's Party of Action wins first trophy in the long race to State House] Daily Nation, 18 February 2012 It later formed an electoral pact with the Kenya National Congress (KNC) for the 2013 general elections,Kenneth signs pact with Tuju 5 December 2012 which was formalised as the Eagle Alliance. The alliance nominated the KNC's Peter Kenneth as its presidential candidate. In the elections Kenneth finished fourth in the presidential contest with 0.6% of the vote. The Party of Action failed to win a parliament, receiving less than 0.05% of the vote.
Prior to the 2017 general elections, the party was renamed as Party of Development and Reforms (PDR), sometimes seen as the Party of Reforms and Development. In the elections the PDR endorsed incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta,Why Uhuru has accepted small parties' support The Star, 10 April 2017 also winning four seats in the National Assembly and one in the Senate.National Assembly: Last election IPUSenate: Last election IPU
It officially changed its name to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in December 2020.
Electoral history
Presidential elections ElectionParty candidateRunning mateVotes%Result2013(as Party of Action – POA)Peter KennethRonald Osumba72,7860.60%Lost2017(as Party of Development and Reforms – PDR)None (endorsed Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee)———Won2022(as United Democratic Alliance – UDA)William RutoRigathi Gachagua7,176,14150.49%Won
Senate elections ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–Position2013(as Party of Action – POA)Peter Kenneth5,1080.04% 0—2017(as Party of Development and Reforms – PDR)——— 1—2022(as United Democratic Alliance – UDA)William Ruto—— 31 1st
National Assembly elections ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–Position2013(as Party of Action – POA)Peter KennethConstituency2,6750.02% 0—County ——2017(as Party of Development and Reforms – PDR)—Constituency67,5150.45% 4—County 225,5571.49%2022(as United Democratic Alliance – UDA)William RutoConstituency5,417,66538.29% 141 1stCounty 4,942,30134.93%
References
External links Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Official website Southern Africa chapter UDA Youth