Fears of an implosion fired by factional wars, forced resident William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance to cancel grassroots elections that were due next month.
The postponement will now give the party more time to rally for unity of purpose and seal cracks to avert an acrimonious fallout.
In a surprise move, the party on Saturday announced that it had postponed the elections until April 2024.
In a statement by UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala, the party did not however state any reasons for the sudden postponement.
The Star has established that the ruling party has been experiencing vicious internal wars that threatened to ruin the inaugural polls.
It had also emerged that holding the polls on a single day would have become a logistical nightmare for the party.
While the earlier planned December 9 polls were to be conducted on a single day, the party has now changed the programme with the elections slated for three days.
The polls will also be staggered in three clusters on April 12, 19 and 26, 2024
The crux for the postponement is that divisions had seemingly emerged between two rival camps allied to President Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagu.
One camp allegedly allied to Gachagua was supposedly calling for the postponement amid jitters over a proposal to expand the leadership structure to include three deputy party leaders.
The issue had turned out to be the basis of regional fights pitting Mt Kenya and the Western regions as tensions swirled in the ruling party.
Leaders from the vast Mt Kenta region had opposed what they termed a scheme to clip Gachagua's influence in the party by introducing two more deputy leaders at the helm.
It had emerged that the proponents of the expanded party leadership structure included mainly UDA politicians from the Western Kenya region.
As the party leader, Ruto is currently deputised by Gachagua, who is the de facto deputy party leader, despite the UDA constitution providing for two deputies.
Last week, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga insisted that the post of deputy party leader should be reserved for Gachagua while the position of Secretary General should be reserved for Mt Kenya.
"There must be a party leader and deputy party leader. The rest can be whatever they want to be and we are demanding that as UDA members,'' Kahiga said.
The claims lifted the lid on the vicious regional wars that have rocked UDA.
Women Caucus proposal
It is understood that proponents of the postponement had used the party's Women's Caucus to propose to have the elections called off.
The proposal was then tabled before the UDA Steering Committee chaired by the president on November 2 for deliberation.
When the final decision could not be found, the proposal was pushed to the November 18 NSC meeting in which it was endorsed.
Many of the politicians were reportedly caught off guard by the announcement as they prepared for next month's grassroots polls.
UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala, while addressing the press on November 2 had hinted at the cracks in UDA and possible postponement.
“As it stands right now, the elections will be held in December but the resolution by the National Women’s Congress is an agenda that has been put for our meeting in the subsequent week,” said Malala.
The UDA spokesperson admitted that there are differences but noted that the frictions are a testament to the party's vibrancy and robust democratic space that offers all leaders the opportunity to express themselves.
"A party without conflict is not a party. This is a sign of a vibrant party... we will have many conflicts ahead and after the elections and we have proper mechanisms to ensure we put our membership together,” Malala said.
Scramble for top seats
There has been intensified lobbying in UDA over the positions, widening cracks in the outfit.
The issue had also triggered friction in UDA as top guns scrambled for top positions with leaders fronting various candidates.
Besides the deputy leader position, Mt Kenya region had also laid claim to the Secretary-General position currently held by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala.
Some leaders from the region were pushing for Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro to take over from Malala as the party's secretary general and spokesperson.
On Wednesday, Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga lifted the lid on the scramble for top leadership positions.
He claimed that there was an agreement in UDA that the secretary general position be handed over to the Mt Kenya region.
The senator claimed that Gachagua would support Nyoro for the position in what he said is in accordance with an existing covenant with the ruling party.
"Ndindi is a young leader and can lead. In our meeting we said that the SG must come from Mt Kenya," Wamatinga said.
"DP Gachagua would support Ndindi Nyoro to become UDA Party, secretary general."
Nyoro who chairs the powerful National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee is an influential linchpin within the UDA rank and file.
The MP has, however, not publicly declared his interest in the position.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has also declared that he will run for the position during the December polls.
The party's National Governing Council meeting held at Bomas on September 29, ruled that the outfit resolved that the elections shall be conducted on December 9, 2023.
While addressing the UDA National Governing Council on September 29, President Ruto insisted that the December polls would proceed as planned.
He told the elected leaders caucus that 'let the hustlers decide who will lead them''.
With the party facing competing political interests amid succession intrigues in Mt Kenya, Ruto is walking a tightrope on how to balance the scales and emerge from the polls unscathed.
It is believed that the polls could be a do-or-die for Gachagua because he would want to seize the moment to consolidate his support in the party by ensuring that his loyalists win influential positions.
President Ruto's influence in the country ahead of the 2022 polls was linked to the elaborate scheme that saw him reportedly plan his allies in strategic positions in the Jubilee party.
Most of his allies were also among those who made it through the Jubilee primaries in 2016 as he plotted a presidential bid and succession from his then-boss Uhuru Kenyatta.
UDA managers
The UDA party has already dispatched managers to various regions ahead of the much-anticipated grassroots elections.
The officials will help to oversee the proper planning and coordination of the activities leading to the December 9, elections.
In the notice dated October 4, Malala has named 16 regional managers and 18 county managers.
In some of the changes, the Coast region which comprises Taita Taveta, Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu will be headed by Khalif Abdi Adhan with South Nyanza which consists of Kisii and Nyamira being led by Ezekiel Bosire.
The county manager for Narok and Kajiado will be Supeet Rais Daniel while Alex Khamasi will be in charge of Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma and Vihiga.
Rift Valley has been categorised into four North, South, Central, and North Rift II while Central is split into two.
John Matiko will be in charge of Migori, Isiolo (Nora Wito), Nyamira (Kinaro Ndubi), Kirinyara (James Kihia) and Kilifi (Daniel Chai).’