A senior politician from Nyamira County has cautioned Deputy President William Ruto against disbanding the United Republican Party that played an instrumental role in the Jubilee coalition's victory in 2013 saying the move could stifle his future presidential bid.
The DP’s party is planning to merge with TNA other Jubilee coalition allied parties to form the Jubilee Alliance Party, an outfit that will be used by President Uhuru Kenyatta for his 2017 re-election bid.
But now Patrick Osero, a close confident of the DP believes that his friend should have ‘relaxed’ for a while to study the political dynamics in the 2017 polls, saying his supporters may be subjected to confusion due to the emergence of stronger parties in the expansive Rift Valley region among them Bomet County Governor Isaac Ruto's Chama Cha Mashinani.
“I hold much respect for the DP but I think it is time he abandons the move to merge URP with TNA because it may affect his 2022 plans. Politics is about having a party that people will identify you with and my sincere advice to him is to hold on a little longer,” he said.
“The Rift Valley people may not identify JAP as their own, and that could give mileage other emerging parties. URP has a strong representation across the country and I think we should invest in it and just seek strong partners,” added the Borabu parliamentary aspirant.
He said disbanding URP would increase more rebellion in the Rift Valley making the DP spend much time addressing home-grown politics rather than popularising himself nationally.
“When you disband a party that has that huge following, you subject yourself to unnecessary rebellion that opponents could capitalize on and reduce you. However, I respect him and his decision is final but I think URP should remain,” he said.