Prepare for dire consequences, UDA now tells Kenya Kwanza partners

Former KANU Secretary General Nick Salat receives a cap from UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala during a media briefing at UDA Party offices on March 15, 2023. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

President William Ruto's party has warned Kenya Kwanza partners that it will woo their members to form one formidable outfit.

UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala yesterday said although the party will not force them to fold up, they should prepare for dire consequences.

He said the party will adhere to the agreements made under Kenya Kwanza until another MoU is signed.

Speaking while receiving defectors, Malala said while the Kenya Kwanza parties were at liberty to remain independent, UDA is not interested in other political outfits.

"We are only marketing our party. We are not looking for coalitions and neither are we in need of all parties. We are not asking for parties; what we want is members in our party. We want members of those political parties,'' he said.

UDA has been pushing for the dissolving of the 16 Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties for a single outfit ahead of the 2027 elections.

Former Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat said he decided to join UDA as he believes in their manifesto. This comes a day after 30 leaders from Nyanza jumped ship and six political parties folded to join UDA.

"I felt it's time to move and having taken my time to look through I know UDA is the right party as it has a bright future,'' he said.

But as the call for dissolution of parties intensifies, Amani National Congress, formerly led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and Ford-Kenya, which was led by the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, have rejected the clamour to fold up.

Earlier, Malala noted that Kenya Kwanza lost some seats in last year's General Election because each party fielded a candidate, unlike their rivals.

Now, he said, his role is to strengthen UDA and ensure the party clinches more seats. "When you look at the analysis you realise it's not strategic to have many outfits as we head to any election,'' he said.

On the planned protests by Azimio la Umoja Coalition on Monday, Malala said the government will counter opposition leader Raila Odinga's accordingly.

He told Azimio MPs to go to Parliament for the budget estimates for the financial year 2023/2024 instead of going to the streets.

Azimio is set to hold a demonstration in Nairobi and march to State House to hand in a petition of their grievances, among them the high cost of living, electoral injustice, reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and skewed sharing of State jobs.