Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) boss Isaac Rutto has said that he won’t fold his party despite calls from a section of leaders to join forces and increase chances of Deputy President William Ruto winning the 2022 presidential election.
In a recent interview with a local publication, Rutto indicated that he is ready to enter into a coalition with Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) but not merging the parties.
He said he fully backs the DP’s 2022 presidential bid and his ‘hustler’ agenda.
“Whoever is agitating for the folding of political parties is wrong…we are not going back to the single-party era. What we are only encouraging is a collaboration among parties,” he told The Star.
“The tendency of voting on the common ‘suit pattern’ is not applicable anymore…in fact, those trying to go that way will terribly fail in the coming election because people have moved away from that, people look at an individual and not the party.”
Read: Buzeki Resigns as CCM Party Secretary General After Isaac Rutto Joined DP Ruto
The former Bomet County Governor linked the current Jubilee party wrangles to the merger of The National Alliance (TNA) and United Republican Party.
TNA led by President Uhuru Kenyatta merged with DP Rutto’s URP and other small parties to form Jubilee party in the run-up to the 2017 General Election.
With the fallout of the two leaders, two camps emerged; Kieleweke supporting the President and Tanga Tanga backing Ruto.
Rutto said being one of the founder members of URP, he was against the merger that killed the once-popular party.
Read Also: Isaac Rutto To DP Ruto: Mudavadi, Wetangula Will Make You President, Forget Mt Kenya
According to Rutto, if there was no merger, there would be no wrangles in the ruling party.
“Everyone would be having their own house to run to but see now, there is nowhere to seek refuge,” he said adding that the merger informed his decision to form CCM.
Having reunited with the DP, Rutto is seeking to reclaim his Bomet Governor seat in the 2022 polls after losing it to the late Joyce Laboso of Jubilee in 2017.
Read Also: “I Couldn’t Stomach DP Ruto Suffering Under Handshake, ” Isaac Rutto Opens Up on Jumping Ship
His fallout with the DP during the 2017 polls led to his defeat by the Ruto team.
He now wants to make a comeback and remove Governor Hillary Barchok from office.
Governor Barchok was sworn into office in August following the death of Joyce Laboso who he deputised.
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