In one of the most notable twists in modern Kenyan politics, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the party that carried William Ruto to the presidency in 2022, started out as a political party launched by his fiercest political critic, former Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju.
Long before the fallout inside the ruling Jubilee Party, a quiet political realignment laid the foundation for what would eventually become the "Hustler Nation" movement. Here is the story of how a party created by Raphael Tuju transformed into William Ruto’s primary political vehicle.
1. The Birth of the Party of Action (POA)
In February 2012, ahead of the 2013 general elections, Raphael Tuju resigned from his role as a presidential advisor to Mwai Kibaki to pursue his own presidential ambitions. To launch his bid, he unveiled the Party of Action (POA).
The Original Vision: POA was branded with yellow and green colors and used a mobile phone as its symbol, alongside the slogan "Kenya ni Sisi Sote" (Kenya is all of us).
The 2013 Elections: Tuju later shelved his presidential bid and formed the Eagle Alliance with Peter Kenneth’s Kenya National Congress (KNC), with POA endorsing Kenneth for the presidency in 2013. After that election cycle, the party largely faded into the background of national politics.
2. The 2017 Rebrand to PDR
In the run-up to the 2017 general elections, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto merged several parties to form the Jubilee Party. However, ahead of the 2017 polls, allies associated with then-Deputy President William Ruto quietly acquired the dormant Party of Action.
Becoming PDR: In 2017, POA was officially renamed the Party of Development and Reforms (PDR), adopting a bull as its symbol.
The Strategy: At the time, PDR operated as a friendly affiliate party to Jubilee, endorsing Uhuru Kenyatta for president while fielding candidates mainly in pastoralist regions and parts of the Rift Valley for aspirants who felt locked out of mainstream Jubilee nominations. In the 2017 elections, PDR won four National Assembly seats, one Senate seat, and 17 ward seats.
The Irony: By this point, Raphael Tuju had been appointed the Secretary-General of the Jubilee Party, meaning he was managing Jubilee while his former party was being repurposed right next door.
3. The Jubilee Fallout and the Birth of UDA
Following the March 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, deep divisions emerged within the Jubilee Party. As Secretary-General, Raphael Tuju became a central figure in enforcing party discipline and pushing back against Ruto's allies inside Jubilee.
With the 2022 succession battle heating up and Ruto’s allies facing ousters from Jubilee parliamentary committees and party positions, the Deputy President needed an independent backup plan in case he was denied the Jubilee presidential ticket. That backup plan was already registered and waiting: PDR.
December 2020 Rebrand: In December 2020, PDR officially changed its name to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
New Identity: The party dropped the bull symbol in favor of the now-famous wheelbarrow and adopted the slogan "Kazi ni Kazi" (Work is Work), officially launching in January 2021.
4. A Full-Circle Moment in Kenyan Politics
When UDA was unveiled in January 2021, Raphael Tuju, speaking as Jubilee Secretary-General warned that Jubilee’s disciplinary committee would investigate members who were pledging allegiance to the new outfit. Ironically, the legal registration framework powering Ruto’s new political machine was the very same entity Tuju had founded nearly a decade earlier.
In August 2022, William Ruto used UDA to win the presidency with 50.49% of the vote, turning a once-dormant party into Kenya's ruling party.
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