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President-Elect William Ruto’s party, the United Democratic Alliance, may soon have to go back to the drawing board after it suffered losses in the elections held on Monday.

Despite emerging as the most popular party in the August 9 General Election after garnering the highest number of elected members in both the Senate and National Assembly, the outfit only managed one MP seat among the four contested on Monday.

Its rival coalition, Azimio-One Kenya, led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, scooped the other three in a domineering show by the alliance that has contested Ruto’s declaration as the winner of the presidential race at the Supreme Court.

Raila celebrates

Ruto’s party was also beaten in its quest to capture the Mombasa governorship seat while Kenya Kwanza affiliate, Amani National Congress, lost  in the Kakamega governorship race. Both parties lost to bitter rival, the Orange Democratic Movement, one of Azimio’s main affiliate parties.

Raila yesterday celebrated his coalition’s performance, saying it was prove of its popularity nationally.

“To our loyal supporters who came out to vote for them and Azimio as a whole on the 9th of August, I thank you. Better days are coming,” Raila said. 

Despite the losses, outgoing Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, who was one of the party’s agents in Mombasa, said UDA had made a strong showing.

“Hassan Omar and UDA got an amazing 44 per cent of the vote. Mombasa will be fully liberated in the fullness of time,” he said.

The elections were delayed owing to a mix-up in the ballot papers. 

Although Ruto did not personally campaign for the candidates, he was banking on them not only to affirm his popularity after being declared the winner by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission but also to boost the numbers of his coalition in the National Assembly.

He also sent his allies, led by Deputy President-elect Rigathi Gachagua, to campaign for coalition’s candidates.

Ruto’s party had set out to capture at least three of the MPs’ to at least match Azimio’s figures in the Assembly but ended with only one in Rongai constituency where its candidate Paul Chebor was declared the winner after trouncing incumbent Raymond Moi of Kanu. 

Independents shift

Chebor got 27,021 votes, Moi a distant second with 14,715 votes and former MP Luka Kigen of Chama Cha Mashinani third.

Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance has 159 MPs while Azimio boasts a majority with 162. 

Ruto has, however, swayed 10 of the 12 independent MPs giving his side a slight majority although the non-aligned lawmakers are not obligated to support any agenda in the House. 

With the results on Monday, Kenya Kwanza now has 160 lawmakers and Azimio has 165. 

Despite a strong performance in Rongai, Ruto’s party struggled elsewhere and ended empty handed in three other constituencies — Pokot South, Kacheliba and Kitui Rural.

 In West Pokot, UDA candidates Simon Kalekem  (Pokot South) and Mark Lomunokol (Kacheliba) lost to Kenya Union Party (KUP) rivals David Pkosing and Titus Lotee respectively. 

Pkosing successfully defended the seat while Lotee was making his first attempt and will be among the three lawmakers representing the recently formed outfit in the Assembly. 

KUP, which is associated with former Governor John Lonyangapuo, is an Azimio affiliate.