By Eddah Waithaka
In a significant political shift, businessman Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop, popularly known as Buzeki, defected to President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on Thursday.
UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar and Executive Director Nicodemus Bore officially received the former fierce critic at the party’s Kilimani headquarters, where he arrived with a crowd of supporters.
Buzeki, who unsuccessfully vied for the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat in 2017 and 2022, publicly praised President Ruto and pledged to vigorously campaign for his re-election.
“I have completed my registration and been received warmly, and I am now officially a member of UDA,” Buzeki declared.
The businessman stated that he reconsidered his long-standing criticism of the President after recognizing what he called Ruto’s “transformative leadership.”
“We made a decision after deep thought and resolved that it is time to join the team that will transform Kenya. We don’t want to be left behind,” he explained, adding that he consulted his supporters across the Rift Valley before making the move.
Buzeki urged his followers to rally behind the President’s bid for a second term. “We have a responsibility to recover lost time by working extra hard to popularise the party,” he said.
He assured UDA officials that he would mobilize strong support for the President in 2027, noting that his opposition bloc previously garnered over 100,000 votes in Uasin Gishu County. In the 2022 gubernatorial race, Buzeki finished second with 127,013 votes against UDA’s Jonathan Bii, who won with 214,036 votes.
Regarding future party primaries, Buzeki stated, “We will compete on issues; we will compete on ideas for all seats, from MCA to governor. This will be like a home match.”
In receiving the new member, Secretary General Hassan Omar said President Ruto is driving a “profound economic reorientation, a paradigm shift from the economic accumulation model that creates wealth in the hands of a select few.”
Omar added that the President is dedicated to fostering a unified nation through inclusive and ideologically grounded leadership.
