Nairobi News

Prior to his joining President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance Party last Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Mr Bill Arocho had been vocally anti-Ruto.

Over time, however, he began shifting alliances from former president Uhuru Kenyatta for whom he served as private security for over 10 years to President William Ruto once the 2022 presidential elections were over.

Also read: Exclusive: Bill Arocho – Why I chose UDA and not any other party in Azimio

Speaking exclusively to Nairobi News, Mr Arocho revealed how he began warming up to UDA, how he had fears that they would reject him, how he was eventually welcomed by United Democratic Alliance’s Secretary General Cleophas Malala and what he hopes to achieve with the ruling party now that he is a member.

“I had been warming up to UDA. I spoke to my friends who are former Jubilee Party members and are currently ministers and holding very senior positions in the party. I asked them to allow me to join the party, which they had no issues with. The Party chair, Cecil Mbarire, had no issues with this. We spoke on the phone- she is a very good friend; I spoke to Moses Kuria and told him I’m joining the party.

These are my friends. They are no longer politicians, just personal friends, people who probably when I had my issues when thieves broke into my shops in Woodley, they called me and sympathized with me. They helped me uplift my businesses. These are friends.

Also read: Exclusive: How Uhuru reacted to his old buddy Bill Arocho’s defection to UDA

I’ve got so many friends I can’t even mention them all. UDA is a split of Jubilee, so I know these people one-on-one so they call me. They tell me they have no issues with me and invite me to work with them. So I joined my friends to help them build Kenya,” said Mr Arocho.

He went on to reveal that, despite his consultations with his friends,  he had been scared that UDA would not welcome him to the party because he had been previously anti-President Ruto during the campaign and election period in 2022, while he still worked for Uhuru Kenyatta and the Azimio camp by extension.

“I was very surprised when they welcomed me. I used to be politically anti-Ruto and was very vocal about it on social media. I thought that when I joined UDA there would be a lot of animosity. I was so surprised.

Ruto seems to be someone who is forgiving . I thought I would be the last person to be welcomed to the party. I was really scared they won’t accept me. I thought I would just go there and be given the cap and sent off, but the reception was different. The SG is the one who even received me. I thank Ruto for that. It shows a lot of political maturity,” said Mr Arocho.

Mr Arocho remained adamant that UDA was home to him and that no other party could match what he finds among former colleagues and friends in the Kenya Kwanza regime.

Also read: Uhuru’s bouncer Bill Arocho on ferrying billions during campaigns

With the party, Mr Arocho said he hoped to provide them with his years of experience and expertise- whether as a simple party member or if they assigned him roles and duties.

“I’m an activist. The other day I retired from being a bouncer. I can help in security. I can give security advice. I can help in mobilisation of new party members because I did that in TNA and Jubilee and KANU where I was a very active member.

I want to believe I can share my wealth of experience in this vibrant party of UDA. I’m not a politician as such, so I didn’t bring any votes with me, but I want to share my expertise- I’m still young- in mobilization, security advice and party sensitisation and registration of new members,” he added.

Amid congratulations for his highly publicized defection, he clarified that he was a simple party member and had not been promised any position within the party as some believed.

“There has been no talk of me getting any official position within the party to offer my expertise. We’ve not discussed that. I didn’t join UDA with conditions. I’m ready to work in any position at no conditions. If I’m left as a member, I will appreciate, if I’m given any opportunity to work as a sweeper- any position, I am ready to work. But you know, as members, it’s not necessary for us to work. I can just be a simple member,” concluded Mr Arocho.

Also read: Meet Bill ‘Uhuru’s close friend’ Arocho