UDA downplays Nyali MP Ali's potential exit from the coalition

Just a day after Nyali MP Mohammed Ali announced his intention to part ways with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the party’s Mombasa County Secretary General, Mutisya Wambua, has downplayed the potential impact of his exit.

Speaking during a press briefing held in Mombasa on Wednesday, April 16, Wambua stated that the party respects Ali’s decision and will not stand in his way should he choose to leave.

However, he emphasized that UDA remains open to working with the legislator if he opts to continue his association with the party.

Mutisya, who referred to Ali as a "political tourist," further emphasized that if the MP chooses to exit the party, he should do so quietly and avoid causing unnecessary friction with UDA’s National Secretary General, Hassan Omar.

"This person is a political tourist, tomorrow you might hear him claiming that he will vie for a seat in Isolo, the next time you will hear him saying that he will vie in Nairobi, and then Mombasa," he said.

"We are willing to work together with him, but we are also inviting him to come and work with us, but if he is looking for another path, he should look for it silently and leave the UDA SG to do his job."

The members also emphasized that Ali’s departure would not trigger a mass exodus from the party.

"I want to reassure everyone that his exit won't cause others to follow suit," one member stated.

Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, April 15, the Nyali MP alleged that the party’s Secretary General is planning to block him from securing the UDA ticket for the 2027 general elections.

Ali, who secured his parliamentary seat on a UDA ticket in the 2022 elections, stated that he is ready to part ways with the party and either join a different political outfit or contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming elections.

The legislator expressed his readiness to confront any political challenges that may arise from such a decision.

"We have several options available. I first won as an independent candidate, then came back under UDA for my second term, and I’m telling him now—nothing will stop us from moving forward," he said.

"If you believe the party belongs to you, we’ll pursue alternative routes—be it through another party or an independent bid. That’s exactly what I told the party’s Secretary General," he added.

Ali's declaration follows closely on the heels of the Farmers Party's announcement to withdraw from the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

The statement, issued on Tuesday, April 8, by former party leader Irungu Nyakera, outlined the party’s decision to sever ties with the coalition.

Nyakera accused the coalition's leadership of breaching both the coalition agreement and the Constitution.