UDA holds unity retreat as nine aspirants jostle for Mbeere North mini-poll ticket
Top UDA officials, led by party chair Cecily Mbarire and Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku, held a closed-door retreat in Naivasha to ease tensions and lay the groundwork for a peaceful, fair nomination process.
Nine out of the twelve candidates eyeing the Mbeere North parliamentary seat are seeking the UDA ticket, setting the stage for a high-stakes nomination race that could shape the party’s political influence in Embu County.
Amid the rising competition, top UDA officials—led by party chair Cecily Mbarire and Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku—held a closed-door retreat in Naivasha. The two-day meeting aimed to ease tensions and chart a path for a peaceful and fair nomination process.
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The retreat brought together all UDA aspirants for the vacant seat and focused on promoting dialogue around party unity, development priorities, and effective service delivery. Leaders used the forum to deliberate on the constituency’s pressing needs, review ongoing projects, and propose solutions to persistent challenges affecting residents.
A statement issued after the meeting on Sunday described the retreat as a moment for “reflection and honest discussions on the direction the region should take.”
“The party celebrates the spirit of unity and focus that defined this retreat and looks forward to walking this journey together with the people, for the people,” read the statement signed by Cecily Mbarire, Josiah Thiriku, and Leonard Wamuthende.
Participants also welcomed Geoffrey Ruku’s recent appointment to Cabinet, viewing it as a sign that national leadership is recognising talent from Mbeere.
His presence at the retreat was seen as both a morale boost for the UDA campaign and a signal that the region’s concerns would be heard at the highest level.
With nine candidates vying for the party ticket, UDA is under mounting pressure to ensure a nomination process that is fair, transparent, and peaceful—one that does not sow internal divisions.
Leaders urged aspirants to uphold party values and conduct their campaigns with “maturity, discipline, and respect for each other.”
UDA reaffirmed its commitment to servant leadership and people-focused development, promising to support a nominee who embodies those principles.
The party also warned that it “would not tolerate any conduct that undermines internal democracy or creates disunity ahead of the by-election.”
The Mbeere North seat became vacant recently, prompting a rush of hopefuls keen to run on the ruling party’s ticket.
UDA believes that its candidate will have the strongest chance of victory if the nomination process is credible, inclusive, and free from controversy, with all aspirants agreeing to support whoever emerges as the party’s flag bearer.
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