Days after conducting UDA party nominations across the 36 counties in the county, Deputy President William Ruto's UDA party is faced with yet another headache after fresh demonstrations hit Nandi county.
This is after a section of UDA supporters from Kabiyet, on Monday, May 2, came out to demonstrate over an alleged shortchanging of their preferred nominee David Kiptoo Luley during the just concluded UDA party nominations.
The disgruntled party supporters said the candidate who won as nominee for Kabiyet ward seat has not been awarded the certificate by the UDA party.
It is reported that the winner was shortchanged and the certificate was instead given to the candidate who came in number two during the April 14, nominations.
Locals together with a number of those who lost in the nominations ganged up against the loser who was allegedly awarded an official certificate by UDA officials in Eldoret.
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"As voters of Kabiyet, we are disappointed why Kiptoo was derived of his win. We have no option other than to go on an Independent ticket, we are warning Ruto and his UDA party that we are not happy" said one of the demonstrators.
Through a statement on Saturday, the alleged winner Kiptoo, who has since announced that he will be running on an independent ticket, said he had received a message to go and collect his nomination certificate from the UDA regional offices in Eldoret last week, only to be disappointed.
He claimed the party, however, shortchanged him despite evidence showing he had won. He said he was accused of being an Independent candidate with the ticket being given to his competitor.
"The results which were sent to UDA headquarters showed that I won an interim certificate before Walter appealed against it. We went to the tribunal and the verdict was given and I remain the winner. This was kept secret until the day of issuing certificates. I got the message at 10 am that I was to collect my certificate of nomination at Eldoret sports club.
I was not around and I sent my representative to pick it up for me but all in vain. I followed it up to Nairobi only to be told that I'm the winner but the problem is that I'm an independent candidate so the certificate was to be given to my no. two" stated Kiptoo.
This comes days after such demonstrations were witnessed in Nandi Hills after the area MP Alfred Keter's win was nullified by UDA. The certificate was instead given to his competitor Bernard Kitur who came second in the nominations.
