A silent revamp of affiliate parties in President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition is going against a proposed merger to create a mega outfit that would anchor his 2027 re-election bid.
The parties, which were expected to go slow on their activities amid talks of a merger, have initiated membership registration drives and rolled out activities, showing no signs of preparing to fold. Some have gone to the extent of changing officials.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the main party in Kenya Kwanza, hopes the merger would create an outfit similar to 100-year-old Chinese Communist Party.
A social media post by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, who led Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) party ahead of the 2022 elections, showing the logo of the outfit – but which he later deleted – appears to be a hint about reviving the party that had shown signs of folding and joining UDA.
CCK has not publicly held any party activities since Dr Ruto’s victory and subsequent appointment of Mr Kuria as a Cabinet minister.
President Ruto, the UDA party leader, last year threw his weight behind Secretary-General Cleophas Malala’s calls to fold Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties and form a political juggernaut.
The President at the time said UDA would engage the affiliates through consensus, targeting to build a one party vehicle for 2027 as was the case in 2017 when 11 parties dissolved to create Jubilee.
President William Ruto (right), Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the Bomas of Kenya during the UDA National Governing Council meeting on September 29, 2023.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
Jubilee Party leaders had benchmarked with South African’s African National Congress (ANC) and the Chinese Communist party. Then-President Uhuru Kenyatta even named Mr Raphael Tuju as Cabinet Secretary without portfolio, based on the South African and China findings .
Dr Ruto, then Deputy president, however faced the wrath of Mr Kenyatta when his followers were kicked out of party positions and parliamentary leadership.
Speaking at Bomas of Kenya during the Kenya Kwanza parties meeting last year, Dr Ruto said the merger would be by consensus.
“Nimeskia wengine wetu wakisema hawa wenzetu lazima wafanye hivi na vile, hapana. Unasema tu ni vizuri kama wangejiunga na sisi (I have heard some of us say our partners must do this or that. No. You just talk well if they are joining us),” President Ruto then.
Mr Malala has been calling on Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), Ford Kenya of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance and others to dissolve and join UDA.
Most party leaders have stayed put, save for Mr Mudavadi who resigned as ANC boss in line with the constitutional requirement on the restriction on activities of State officers.
Article 77 (2) of the Constitution says an appointed state officer shall not hold office in a political party.
Mr Kuria’s latest act calls into question the commitment by Kenya Kwanza alliance affiliates to fold and join UDA.
Calls and text messages to Mr Kuria on the matter went unanswered but CCK Secretary-General James Nage said officials held a meeting at UDA headquarters and agreed on what to do if they are to dissolve the party.
“We had an agreement during the meeting at UDA Centre. Several of us from different parties engaged with Malala,” Mr Nage told the Saturday Nation.
President William Ruto received by his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, UDA SG Cleophas Malala and National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung'wah among other leaders when he arrived at the Bomas of Kenya on Friday.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
He said the party would begin registering new members and conduct grassroots elections by August. Mr Nage also said CCK feels shortchanged in the ruling alliance.
Mr Martin Mbugua, the Mutuini Ward representative in Nairobi County who was elected on a CCK ticket, said the party is still independent, “even though we are working with UDA and other Kenya Kwanza affiliates”.
“We remain part of the Kenya Kwanza alliance in the City County Assembly. Our status as a coalition is acknowledged in the assembly, affirming our continued presence as different parties,” said the Mutuini MCA who also posted the party’s logo on social media this week.
“This recognition shows that we are distinct from UDA and emphasises our coalition’s existence as two entities.”
When President Ruto called for the folding of parties, he insisted that none would forced to do so, but some UDA officials took a more aggressive stand.
“The issue of parties folding is an ongoing discussion in Kenya Kwanza. It is a suggestion that has been brought about by UDA to ensure we have a strategy towards winning the 2027 elections,” Mr Malala said last year.
The mega-party idea was also pegged on the UDA elections that were to be held towards the end of last year but moved to next month. This new date, however, appears increasingly unlikely.
ANC,now led by Lamu Governor Issa Timany, Ford Kenya and the Democratic Party, previously associated with Attorney-General Justin Muturi are among the outfits that have no plans to fold.
Kenya Kwanza affiliates also include Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party, Maendeleo Chap Chap of Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, Mandera Senator Ali Roba’s United Democratic Movement and Ugenya MP David Ochieng’s Movement for Democracy and Growth.
Mr Malala last year said Umoja na Maendeleo party of former Embu Governor Martin Wambora, Farmers Party, CCK, Chama cha Mashinani and the Economic Freedom Party had agreed to fold.
According to Registrar of Political Parties, the six parties were still registered as per June 2023.
“UDA will continue reaching out to more parties to join us as we help President William Ruto focus on the country’s development. The new parties that have joined us will now be able to participate in our grassroots elections,” Mr Malala said.
Registrar of Political Parties, Ann Nderitu, says parties can join forces in two ways – through a coalition or merger.
In a coalition, parties agree to work together without folding. They draft agreements on collaboration.
“Kenya Kwanza operates as a coalition of parties, signifying an agreement for collaborative efforts. This coalition does not entail a merger. Perhaps, they are planning on folding or there are discussions in that direction. No parties have folded yet,” Ms Nderitu said.
Ford Kenya National Organising Secretary Chris Mandu Mandu said the party is part of the country’s political heritage, dismissing talk of dissolution.
“We are actually in the process of strengthening our party and preparing to work with others in readiness for 2027. The issue of folding does not arise,” Mr Mandu said yesterday.
“When we won the elections in 2022, we did it as separate parties. We will do the same in 2022 and beyond. We don’t fold parties to win elections.”
Contacted, former Defence minister Eugene Wamalwa, who leads the Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) – an affiliate of the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition – said the problem with ANC and Ford-K is the supremacy battle between Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula.
“Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have not reached an agreement because they are self-centred. The merger remains unrealised, resulting in their diminishing influence vis-à-vis Ruto’s ascent. Their focus is on securing the third position,” Mr Wamalwa said.
“Regrettably, their attention appears to be directed more towards internal competition than advocating for their constituents.”
He added that when Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula position themselves as the third force in Kenya’s political landscape, it creates confusion and division, especially in Western Kenya.
“That is particularly when they urge the region to rally behind them,” said Mr Wamalwa, who has not hidden his presidential ambitions.
“Our party is registered independently, and we have maintained that stance. We’ve never indicated or said that we will merge with others or fold,” Mr Lunani said.
