Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has dismissed claims that he has joined a new political party months after folding his Amani National Congress (ANC) party into the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
In a statement through his communications team on Sunday, April 6, Mudavadi clarified that he was still rooted in the Kenya Kwanza administration led by President William Ruto.
“H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, has noted with concern reports in some media outlets associating him with a new political party,” Mudavadi stated.
“For the record and avoidance of doubt, Dr. Mudavadi is firmly in the government under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance Administration led by H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces.”
The statement also reiterated that the ANC party joined the Kenya Kwanza Alliance in the lead-up to the 2022 general elections along with other parties but subsequently folded into UDA on January 17.
Furthermore, Mudavadi’s office revealed that he had maintained integrity, honesty, and dignity in his way of doing things and has never had a double face.
To further emphasise this assertion, the statement noted that his move to merge with UDA had not been coerced but was a voluntary one endorsed by the party members.
This, the statement concluded, was demonstrated by the senior government positions of former ANC party officials, including the former Deputy Party Leader Issa Timamy retaining his seat at UDA.
“Mudavadi remains committed to his government's responsibility of diligently serving the people of Kenya and has absolutely no intention of joining another political outfit,” the statement concluded.
When announcing the merger of the two parties, the officials noted that the UDA party logo and colours would be changed to match ANC's.
The new UDA party also incorporated ANC's secretariat members, including directors and staff that were expected to support the direction of the new formation.
Announcing the merger, UDA chairperson and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire noted that the merger had followed months of critical discussion and had even suffered a temporary setback after the party lost its deputy party leader, Rigathi Gachagua, to impeachment last year.
"The merger was scheduled for last year but stalled because of challenges and bottlenecks, but because of our new deputy party leader, he ensured to open up that process and unlocked and straightened all the obstacles to ensure we get here," Mbarire explained.
