Parties allied to the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition are having misgivings about the plan to dissolve the affiliate parties so that they all join UDA to form a strong singular party.

They accuse UDA of trying to kill democracy by insisting that they fold their outfits, they say there is no need given that they have pledged their allegiance to president Ruto for ten years.

UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala has been entrusted with the process which he has started in earnest,he announced an August this year deadline for all the affiliate parties to wind up.

Kenya kwanza coalition is composed of 18 member parties which supported the president’s bid in the August elections. Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC, Moses Wetangula’s Ford Kenya,

Pamoja African Alliance (PAA), the Democratic Party (DP), The Service Party, Tujibebe Wakenya Party, Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM).

 

Others are the Communist Party of Kenya, Farmers Party, Devolution Party of Kenya, Economic Freedom Party, Umoja na Maendeleo Party, National Agenda Party of Kenya, Grand Dream Development Party, Movement for Democracy and Growth and Chama Cha Mashinani.

 

Although the party leaders of the various parties have remained mum on the issue of folding up, their foot soldiers are opposed to the idea and vow to resist the overtures by UDA. This shows how restive the issue has become in the ruling coalition.

Mandera North MP Bashir Abdullahi, who is a UDM official, said though the party would back Dr Ruto’s re-election, “asking us to fold is unrealistic”.

 

“UDM is part of the ruling Kenya Kwanza alliance and that will still be the case in 2027,” he said.

 

“However, we will remain a distinct and independent party and go into the 2027 elections as UDM. We are not winding up.”

 

Maendeleo Chap Chap’s Mwengi Mutuse who is Kibwezi West Mp elected on Alfred Mutua’s party assured their members that they are not going to fold even as they assured Ruto of their support for 10 years

“Maendeleo Chap Chap is an independent party. I can confidently tell our members that we are not going to fold,” Mr Mutuse said.

 

“Instead of dissolving, we will grow the party and make it stronger than it is. In doing this, we will contribute meaningfully to the ruling coalition.”

 

Communist Party of Kenya Chairman Mwandawiro Mghanga has rejected calls for dissolution of Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties, saying that he only supported bottom up economics and may not be sharing the same visions with other affiliate parties.

 

“The Communist Party of Kenya cannot be dissolved. We have been pushing for the bottom-up progressive agenda. Let the other parties dissolve if they want to,” he said.