Businessman and former Uasin Gishu gubernatorial aspirant Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop, popularly known as Buzeki, has officially joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.

Buzeki, who unsuccessfully contested for the Uasin Gishu County governor’s seat in 2022, was formally welcomed into the ruling party on Thursday, September 11, at a ceremony held at UDA headquarters, Hustler Centre, in Nairobi. 

The event was presided over by UDA Secretary General Omar Hassan Omar. 

With his entry into UDA, Buzeki is expected to mount another bid for the Uasin Gishu governorship in 2027, setting the stage for a potential showdown with the incumbent, Jonathan Bii.

While receiving him, Omar assured Buzeki of the party’s support and emphasized the importance of the Bottom-Up economic model in UDA’s agenda.

"Welcome to UDA, we want Bottom-Up and we are confident that you too will strengthen the Bottom-Up policy when you become a member of UDA. I wish you well, and your ambition will also be our ambition as UDA.

"Where possible, we shall work together and ensure that there will be free and fair nominations wherever there is competition," he said.

On his part, Buzeki described the move as a significant step in his political journey and expressed gratitude to the party for opening its doors to him. 

"We thank UDA for accepting our call; our request was to say that we want to walk into the UDA office so that we can be accepted as members of UDA. I am very happy," he stated.

Buzeki has sought the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat twice.

In 2017, he entered the Jubilee Party primaries against incumbent Governor Jackson Mandago. 

However, despite running a resourceful and high-profile campaign, he lost the nomination after Mandago garnered about 126,681 votes to his 82,869. Refusing to bow out, Buzeki mounted an independent campaign during the general election with focus on inclusivity and agricultural development.

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However, despite the momentum, he came second in the general election with approximately 148,121 votes, losing to Mandago, who secured 193,604 votes.

Five years later, in 2022, Buzeki made a second attempt at the governor’s office. 

This time, he declared from the onset that he would run as an independent candidate, distancing himself from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

However, Buzeki's decision not to join UDA created hurdles, as the party enjoyed massive grassroots support in the region. 

When the votes were counted, Buzeki once again fell short. Bii, who contested for the seat on a UDA ticket, won with 214,036 votes.