President William Ruto addresses delegates during the UDA National Governing Council meeting at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on September 29, 2023.
Unfulfilled pre and post-election promises are at the heart of a brewing revolt in Kenya Kwanza Alliance which is threatening merger plans to form a giant UDA party ahead of President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
Smaller member parties are behind the quite rebellion against plans to merge and transform into the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Kenya Kwanza Alliance member parties’ secretary generals said the promises were made during a meeting chaired by UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala on March 14, 2023.
More than a year after Mr Malala's ambitious declaration of plans to transform the UDA into a behemoth akin to South Africa's ruling African National Congress, nothing has changed.
At the time of the announcement, a bullish Malala urged affiliated parties to fold up and join the UDA, saying "it is not reasonable to have a party with only 10 MCAs or five MPs".
Without mincing words, the former Kakamega Senator asked senior State officials in the Kenya Kwanza administration who were still clinging to their parties to choose between being in government or resigning and holding onto their political outfits.
"One of my mandates is to start a dialogue with our partners to ensure that we have one party against our opponents. We cannot have one government and several colours. That is our position and we will talk to others," Mr Malala said at the time.
With no merger in sight, the President's party has been forced to move ahead with its grassroots elections after several postponements.
On Tuesday, UDA chairperson Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire announced that the party would hold its elections from April 26 to August 24, 2024.
She said voting will be done electronically in four phases.
"Upon completion of the grassroots elections in all the districts, the UDA will conduct the district and national elections by December," Ms Mbarire said.
Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) Secretary-General James Nage said there was no way they would fold their parties after the UDA reneged on a promise to appoint top officials from affiliated parties to positions in government.
Mr Nage said it had been agreed at the meeting of branch secretaries with Mr Malala that 25 top officials from the 12 smaller branches would be rewarded with State jobs.
The meeting at the UDA headquarters, he said, had the blessing of the President, who even called Mr Malala in the presence of the officials.
The CCK secretary-general said that since then, there has been no communication from Mr Malala or even party leader Dr Ruto about the promises made.
"Mr Malala was the one who chaired the meeting and he told us that he had the blessings of the boss, and so, whatever we asked for would be done. So we agreed that they will consider all our top officials because there is no way we can fold a party and just go home," said Mr Nage.
"Since that meeting, no one has contacted us. There has been no official or informal communication. The only person who benefited from the meeting is Irungu Nyakera, who was appointed chairman of Kenya Medical Supplies Authority," he added.
Mr Nyakera is the leader of the Farmers Party, one of the over 16 member parties of the Kenya Kwanza.
Others are the Amani National Congress, Ford Kenya, Pamoja African Alliance , Maendeleo Chap Chap, Democratic Party, The Service Party ando's Tujibebe Wakenya Party, The Communist Party of Kenya and Devolution Party of Kenya, Economic Freedom Party, Umoja na Maendeleo Party among others.
