A section of UDA supporters from Gem Constituency now says they are ready to mobilize more members from the area to join the ruling party across Siaya County to complement efforts by party officials.
Speaking during the UDA recruitment drive at Gem Nyawara, the group led by George Ayoma alias Ofisa said they have set for themselves, a target number of new members they want to see recruited into President William Ruto's party.
Ofisa who is also seeking the position of the organising secretary in the Gem constituency in the upcoming UDA grassroots elections said that upon achieving the set targets, they will then move to the neighbouring constituencies within the county to aggressively market the ruling party.
The hopeful for the organising secretary position revealed that his team, which has already kicked off the supporters' led recruitment drive has since met officials of UDA and other top leaders of the party from Siaya to seek their concurrence to go on with the membership mobilization.
"We don't want to wait for the party officials to be the only ones carrying out membership mobilization. We feel if supporters take the lead, as a complementary approach then we will all own this process," he said.
" We have discussed this proposal even with our leaders, some of whom are in government and are from Siaya County and they have no problem with it. We want to compliment what the party officials are already doing to make UDA more vibrant and visible in this county," he said.
The president's party is keen to extend its influence across the country, particularly in areas that overwhelmingly voted in support of the 2022 Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua.
On Friday, Ofisa reiterated that as UDA supporters, they are keen to champion the ruling party's intention and ambition to spread its tentacles in Siaya County adding that the ruling party was unstoppable.
"Some people from other rival parties do not want to accept that UDA is making inroads even in areas that have been perceived as opposition zones for decades," he said.
On Thursday, he led the party's recruitment drive in Nyawara Gem Hall during which over 2,000 new members were enlisted into UDA.
"We are happy that despite all odds, we are getting new members each day," he said.
Assisted by another staunch UDA supporter in the Constituency identified as Kevin Kwach, Ofisa said their next target area after meeting the Gem targets will be Ugenya, Ugunja, Alego Usonga, Rarieda and finally Bondo.
He said that the UDA recruitment drives would be conducted peacefully and asked leaders from rival parties to also preach peace.
Ofis further noted that in Gem Constituency alone, as UDA supporters, they target to help recruit 34, 000 new members.
"We also intend to enlist, as UDA supporters, 1,000 new members per ward in the other Constituencies of Siaya," he said.
"My appeal to the people of Nyanza, particularly Luo Nyanza is to allow political competition as a way to entrench the practice of true democracy which our leaders fought for. Let no one use threats or intimidation to scare away those who are in rival parties," he said