Businessman Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop, popularly known as Buzeki, a former fierce critic of President William Ruto, has defected to the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Buzeki, who was accompanied by supporters, was received Thursday morning at the party headquarters in Kilimani, Nairobi, by Secretary General Hassan Omar and Executive Director Nicodemus Bore.
In a departure from his earlier stance, the businessman praised President Ruto, thanking him for welcoming him to UDA and pledging to vigorously campaign for his re-election.
Buzeki unsuccessfully vied for the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat, losing narrowly to Jackson Mandago in 2017 and later to Jonathan Bii in 2022, when he contested as an independent.
“I want to thank the UDA Party for accepting us to be members. I have completed my registration and been received warmly, and I am now officially a member of UDA,” Buzeki said.
A longtime critic of President Ruto, Buzeki said he had reconsidered his position and lauded the head of state for what he termed transformative leadership.
“We have come here during the day and not at night. This is because 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 added.
He said his decision followed consultations with his supporters, particularly in Uasin Gishu and the wider Rift Valley region.
Buzeki urged his supporters to move past political differences and rally behind President Ruto’s bid for a second term.
“For me and others, we have a responsibility to recover lost time by working extra hard to popularise the party,” he said, adding that UDA’s broad-based government inspired him to cross over.
He assured UDA officials that he would mobilise strong support for the President in 2027, noting that the opposition previously garnered over 100,000 votes in Uasin Gishu County.
In the 2022 gubernatorial race, Buzeki came second with 127,013 votes against Jonathan Bii, who won on a UDA ticket with 214,036 votes.
“We will compete on issues; we will compete on ideas for all seats, from MCA to governor. This will be like a home match,” he said, in reference to internal UDA contests.
