Flip-flopping: Ruto welcomes Aisha Jumwa back to UDA months after July defection

By  Winnie Atieno

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

President William Ruto has welcomed former Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa back to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), reversing her decision to quit the ruling party in July amid disagreements over her political ambitions in Kilifi.

The president received Ms Jumwa at State House, Mombasa, where he said he looked forward to working with her to advance the party’s transformation agenda at the Coast and across the country.

In a statement after the meeting, Dr Ruto said the party remained committed to uniting leaders and Kenyans around its vision of a united, inclusive and prosperous country.

“Received former Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa back to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) at State House, Mombasa. I look forward to working with her to advance the party’s transformation agenda at the Coast and across the country,” he said on his official Facebook account.

Ms Jumwa’s return marks a significant political turnaround barely four months after she announced her departure from UDA, accusing the party of frustrating her bid to contest the Kilifi governorship in the 2027 General Election.

On July 30, she announced that she was no longer a member of UDA, saying her decision followed deep reflection and consultations with the people she represented.

She also expressed dissatisfaction with what she described as humiliation and exclusion from the party and government, despite having been among UDA’s founding members and a key mobiliser for President Ruto at the Coast.

Her exit triggered a series of political engagements with opposition figures seeking to attract her to their side ahead of the next General Election.

On July 31, Siaya Governor James Orengo’s Linda Mwananchi movement opened negotiations with the former CS, offering her a senior leadership position.

Two weeks later, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka welcomed Ms Jumwa into his party and proposed her for the position of Deputy Party Leader. She had also indicated that she would pursue the Kilifi gubernatorial seat in 2027.

Her return to UDA now places her back in the ruling party as political alignments take shape ahead of the elections.

Ms Jumwa is a prominent political figure at the Coast, having served as Kilifi Woman Representative between 2013 and 2017 before becoming Malindi MP from 2017 to 2022.

She later served in President Ruto’s Cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage until July 2024, when she was dropped during a Cabinet reshuffle.

The President’s statement did not indicate whether Ms Jumwa had been given a new role in the party or government, nor did it clarify the status of her earlier bid for the Kilifi governor’s seat.

Her return is likely to draw attention in Kilifi, where the contest for the governorship is expected to be a key political battleground in 2027. It will also raise questions about UDA’s position in the Kilifi gubernatorial contest, where Governor Gideon Mung’aro is seeking a second term on an ODM ticket.

Ms Jumwa quit UDA in July after party leaders in Kilifi openly backed Mr Mung’aro, frustrating her bid to secure the ruling party’s ticket. The development had put her on a collision course with the broad-based political arrangement between UDA and ODM.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said that UDA would not field a candidate against Mr Mung’aro in 2027, a position that complicated Ms Jumwa’s political ambitions. Kilifi North MP Owen Baya reiterated the position this week, saying his support for the governor remained firm.

Ms Jumwa’s return leaves questions about whether she will still pursue the Kilifi governorship and how the ruling party will manage competing interests in the county.

UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar has repeatedly rejected calls for a zoning arrangement with ODM, insisting that the ruling party will field candidates for all elective positions in the 2027 General Election.

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