Ex-Raila aide Silas Jakakimba joins UDA Party

Silas Jakakimba, the former aide to Azimio-One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga, has formally joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party.

Jakakimba was received by UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala at the party headquarters in Nairobi.

“Mr. Silas Jakakimba will contest for Member of Parliament in Suba North constituency,” Malala said while receiving him.

Malala says that the President William Ruto-led party currently has 141,000 registered members in Homa Bay County.

He said that his move affirms the party’s growing popularity in Nyanza and across the country.

Speaking thereafter, Jakakimba said that joining UDA was a no-brainer, bearing in mind its “growing popularity” in Nyanza region.

“I intend to join the many Nyanza people who are now increasingly ready to mobilise, popularise and even contest for elections on the UDA platform. Joining UDA confirms my belief that the party is a national party with a national constituency and an even brighter future in the path of grounding and consolidating democratic gains in our years-old quest for good governance in the Joint Republic.”

Jakakimba also lauded Raila for deciding to vie for the African Union (AU) Commission chairmanship, saying that he has “severally, in the past year, expressed my strong belief that Baba [Raila] needs to step back from the rigours of local politics and focus on a continental assignment.”