Senior UDA leaders in Kitui County were not seen on Thursday during a high-profile inspection at IthookweShowgrounds , raising fresh doubts about the party’s grip as Governor Malombe collaborated closely with the State and Kalonzo Musyoka effect looms larger in Ukambani politics.
Channel 15 News can authoritatively report that the inspection of Ithookwe Stadium by Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and the National State Events Organizing Committee sparked political debate after Kitui UDA officials were not seen at the high-profile event.
Those not seen included local party officials, Livestock PS Jonathan Mueke , Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai, and Kitui South MP Dr. Rachel Kaki Nyamai , Kitui County Assembly Speaker Hon Kelvin Kinengo and affiliated MCAs , who in recent months have been fronting UDA-branded empowerment drives across the county. Their absence was particularly notable given that in previous inspection visits, the same officials had turned up in solidarity.
CS Mvurya has been to Kitui more than twice in the recent two months to assess preparations, but today’s visit was especially significant as it came just weeks before the Mashujaa Day celebrations.
An influential UDA insider attached to the national government, who requested anonymity, voiced unease at the no-show: “It sends the wrong signal when our own people are missing from such a critical state event. If they can’t stand with the President on development projects, who will champion his agenda in Kitui?”
The fact that Kitui senior UDA figures were not seen has fueled fresh doubts about UDA’s real popularity in Kitui and heightened speculation about who exactly will push President William Ruto’s BETA agenda in Ukambani ahead of the high-profile Mashujaa Day celebrations.
Political commentators argue that the incident reflects a deeper reality — that President Ruto may not view Kitui UDA leaders as viable political vehicles. Instead, State House is said to be quietly shifting attention toward former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, who retains a solid and loyal Kamba following that could be decisive in 2027.
In sharp contrast, Governor Julius Malombe a Wiper governor, and whose county government have collaborated closely with the national government since Kitui was chosen to host Mashujaa Day has assured that his administration will fully support all state projects linked to the event.
During the inspection, he also hit out at PS Mueke, accusing him of wrongly claiming credit for Mashujaa Day-linked projects. “We should always speak the truth and not claim credit that is not due to us,” Malombe said, recalling how he personally petitioned the President during the commissioning of the Kanyonyoo Level 4 Hospital to bring Mashujaa Day to Kitui.
Since the dismissal of former Tourism CS Peninah Malonza, UDA’s grassroots presence in Kitui has waned. With Jonathan Mueke as the most senior and most visible political appointee from the county, and MPs Mbai and Nyamai as vocal legislators, the fact that they were not seen — alongside other UDA officials — has only deepened speculation about cracks in the party’s grip and the President’s shifting strategy in Ukambani.
Meanwhile, CS Mvurya confirmed that the Ithookwe Stadium is 80 percent complete, adding that complementary projects — including the Kitui Airstrip upgrade, road improvements, and new facilities under the Ithookwe Showground master plan — are also underway. He assured that Kitui will be ready to host Mashujaa Day in grand fashion.
