Newly appointed UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala has said that Kenya Kwanza is seeking to form one formidable party that will outlive its current leadership.
Speaking on Friday, Malala said that there is no reason to continue having parties for the purposes of elections only.
"Off late we had coalitions of convenience whereby people come together for purposes of winning an election, they don't believe or like each other and have no common agenda, they just come together for purposes of winning an election," he said.
"That is why coalitions have been unable to sustain themselves post-election."
Malala has been pushing for the dissolution of affiliates in Kenya Kwanza ahead of the 2027 political showdown with Azimio.
"We shall not go into 2027 before we organise ourselves better and this is a sign that President Ruto plans his politics under one colour,” Malala said.
However, the move was not welcomed by some affiliate parties in Kenya Kwanza.
ANC and Ford Kenya said they will not give in to threats trying to force the party to fold into UDA.
Bungoma Senator David Wafula Wakoli argued that initially there was no agreement to fold parties in the Kenya Kwanza.
“During UDA signing a partnership, there was nowhere we agreed that we shall fold our party. Therefore I want to ask UDA SG Cleophas Malala to stop telling us that we fold Ford Kenya,” he said.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi also weighed in on folding parties in Kenya Kwanza.
Mudavadi said the country is currently facing more dire challenges for anyone to start talking about the merger of parties.
"We need to dialogue on the issues affecting the country at the moment, rather than bury our heads in the sand and concentrate on the rhetoric about merging political parties," Mudavadi said.
He said the most urgent challenges to the country currently are the drought, the cost of living and settling pending bills among other priorities.
"To me, the issue of a merger or non-merger is actually at the bottom of the priorities," Mudavadi said.
However, the former Kakamega Senator has maintained that it is a proposal and leaders will come to terms with it gradually.
