Nairobi News

Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary-general Seth Panyako has continued to reveal what forced him to resign from his position in the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

Mr Panyako now says he received a phone call from President William Ruto a day before he tendered his resignation as UDA national deputy chairman.

Also read: Seth Panyako laments Ruto’s ‘changed’ behaviour, threatens to storm State House

According to him, it was the first time President Ruto had called him since he came to power, which was not the case during the campaigns when they used to meet and call each other frequently.

“But after the election, I think that was the first time he called me to tell me that maybe I should leave the party,” Mr Panyako said in his morning interview on Spice FM.

Unfortunately for him, the president’s first call was not good news.

“He called to tell me that I should leave the party because I do not agree with his programmes for government.”

He said that since the election, the party has only met to rubber-stamp changes made by the party, including the recent appointment of former Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala as party chairman.

The secretary-general also claimed that the president has no room for dissent.

“I don’t think he listens to anybody. I think he listens to himself.”

Also read: I resigned hoping for CS position from Ruto – Malala

Mr Panyako also believes that the pressure the president was referring to came from those around him.

After his resignation, Mr Panyako began taking the government to task over its proposed 2023 Finance Bill, saying the housing fund plan was not realistic for workers.

“If we told the workers that we are going to take 3 per cent of your salary to do a housing project, the workers would not have voted for Kenya Kwanza. So we have deceived them, we have deceived Kenyans and that’s why I say politicians must keep the promises they make to the people, not just when you are in office and working.

Mr Panyako said that despite playing a major role in painting Malava constituency yellow during the last campaigns, things had suddenly fallen apart.

“What was recorded for the President was 28,000 votes, Raila Odinga 29,000 for my own efforts. There is no other sub-county or constituency in Kakamega that went above 15,000 votes, that was my effort,” said Mr Panyako.

He claimed that cartels around the President refused to allow him to campaign for UDA in the county during the campaigns.

Also read: Five politicians who dumped Musalia for Ruto