MP Caleb Amisi. Photo/Courtesy
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has criticised President William Ruto’s decision to host thousands of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) aspirants at State House, arguing that the move risks misleading hopeful candidates and wasting public resources ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Amisi claimed Kenyans were “lying” to the President by creating unrealistic expectations among aspirants seeking UDA tickets, particularly in Nairobi.
He argued that the capital city remains largely hostile to the ruling party, making electoral success on a UDA ticket highly unlikely in many constituencies.
Amisi cited Nairobi’s 17 constituencies, noting that with more than 100 MP aspirants reportedly eyeing UDA nominations in the county, only one candidate per constituency would eventually secure the party ticket.
He questioned what would become of the rest, dismissing suggestions that they could later be accommodated through government appointments as “a big open lie.”
The ODM legislator further argued that globally, capital cities tend to lean against incumbent governments, placing Nairobi at what he described as “80 per cent anti-government.”
Even with potential political realignments, Amisi claimed the chances of a UDA candidate winning in several Nairobi constituencies would remain negligible, warning aspirants against risking significant personal resources on weak electoral prospects.
He also cautioned President Ruto against expending national resources on what he termed political “conmen and women,” urging the Head of State to prioritise governance over premature campaign mobilisation.
Amisi predicted that only about 10 per cent of the aspirants who attended the State House meeting would still be seeking UDA tickets by 2027.
President Ruto, however, defended the engagement, saying he had met 12,353 UDA aspirants at State House.
According to the President, the group included 149 gubernatorial aspirants, 279 senatorial hopefuls, 323 women representative aspirants, 1,372 MP aspirants and 10,230 MCA hopefuls.