Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga has suffered a major setback after the United Democratic Movement (UDM) abandoned him for President-elect William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza outfit.

UDM party’s leadership on Thursday August 18, met the President-elect at the Deputy President’s official residence in Karen, Nairobi.

The party has eight Members of National Assembly, two Governors and two Senators who were elected in the just concluded general election.

However, the Mandera Senator-elect Ali Roba-led party is still tied to Azimio-One Kenya coalition, legally.

“We salute the United Democratic Movement (UDM) leadership for abandoning Azimio La Umoja and joining Kenya Kwanza,” President-elect William Ruto tweeted.

The UDM party had joined Azimio in February this year, complicating Ruto’s chances taking control of the North-Eastern region.

However, UDM’s ditching Azimio for Kenya Kwanza has added to the growing list of the Members of the National Assembly from the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

With the Senate split 24-23 in favour of Kenya Kwanza, the battle for the control of the 349-member National Assembly, where Azimio boasts a 162-159 advantage, has boiled down to the 12 independent MPs, 10 of whom have already joined Kenya Kwanza.

Kenya Kwanza now controls the National Assembly with about 177 Members as at now.