United Democratic Forum (UDF) party suffered a major setback after one of its key members in Mumias Constituency defected to ODM citing poor leadership and pressure from his supporters.

Justine Mutobera who was the party's Mumias sub-branch chairman announced his defection at Bumini Secondary School where he was received by Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya.

“I decided to ditch UDF because majority of my supporters are still in ODM and have pressured me to seek the Mumias seat on the party,” said Mutobera.

Mutobera and Mumias MP Ben Washiali opened up parallel UDF offices, less than two hundred meters in Mumias in May as they fought over control of the party.

Oparanya said that the wave that was created in Kakamega County and parts of Western province by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi's defection from ODM for UDF has now collapsed.

“People who were lured out of ODM have since realized that they were cheated and are going back to where they rightfully belong,” he added.

A spokesman of Matungu MP David Were was reported in a section of the press last week saying that the lawmaker had returned to ODM.

But UDF secretary for Kakamega County Raphael Welimo said Mutobera had not fully become a member of UDF.

Welimo said that Mutobera's move to ODM is informed by the thinking that former area MP Wycliffe Osundwa is beatable for the ODM ticket at the nomination.

ODM and UDF have been engaged in bitter turf wars over supremacy especially in Kakamega County since Mudavadi ditched the former for the later in March citing lack of internal democracy.