The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has dismissed Rigathi Gachagua’s public resignation from the party as “theatrics” and “inconsequential,” asserting that his membership was revoked earlier this year when he was removed as Deputy Party Leader.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, UDA said it had already notified the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) of changes to its National Executive Committee (NEC), including the replacement of Gachagua with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki during a meeting held on November 11, 2024.
“The ruling party, UDA, officially removed Rigathi Gachagua as its Deputy Party Leader, which automatically revoked his membership. Today’s long paragraphs and ‘exit’ from the party amount to theatrics null and void,” read the statement.
Documentation shared by the party includes a letter dated January 16, 2025, informing the ORPP of the changes. The ORPP confirmed receipt and indicated that the party had followed due process as outlined in its constitution. The office also initiated the process of gazetting the leadership change and instructed UDA to publish the update in a national newspaper.
According to the Political Parties Act, resignation from a political party requires a written notice submitted to the party, and where applicable, to the Clerk of the relevant House. The Registrar must then be notified within seven days to update party membership records.
Gachagua, in his resignation letter released earlier on Monday, cited a divergence in ideology as the reason for his exit, accusing UDA of abandoning its promises on agriculture, healthcare, MSMEs, housing, and the digital economy.
“By a copy of this letter, you are notified that I have officially resigned from the UDA Party with immediate effect,” Gachagua stated, labelling the current leadership direction as a betrayal of Kenyans’ hopes and “a retrogressive philosophy of an unfit class to govern.”
Despite his remarks, UDA maintains that Gachagua’s departure is merely symbolic, with his formal ties to the party severed months ago.
