United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has maintained its position ordering all Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties to fold up and join the ruling political outfit.
Speaking in Nakuru at Section 58 during the launch of the UDA Party's regional office on Saturday, Secretary-General Cleophas Malala stressed that all Kenya Kwanza parties will be asked to fold and join UDA ahead of the ruling party's postponed grassroots elections.
''We want Kenya to have strong political parties and that is why we are urging our sister parties within the Kenya Kwanza family to consider folding their parties and this is an ongoing conversation that we are having with them''
Malala has been at the forefront of championing the merger of all Kenya Kwanza Parties taking cue from President Ruto's long-standing political belief that a presidential candidate stands a better chance of winning if all affiliate parties throw all their weight behind them.
As the Deputy Party Leader of Jubilee Party when former President Uhuru Kenyatta was in power, Ruto consistently asked smaller parties within the coalition to fold with the view to create one large strong party.
UDA had initially postponed its grassroots elections scheduled for December to a later date to allow the merger to happen.
Malala also stated that the party postponed its elections to allow the party to scale up its membership recruitment drive.
“UDA grassroots elections were scheduled for December 9 but after deliberations with the national steering committee headed by the party leader, President William Ruto postponed it to allow the negotiations with affiliate parties,” Malala added
Malala further urged all citizens to go ahead and register themselves as UDA party members holding that the party has a larger vision and will distinguish itself from previous ruling parties by being more than just a political vehicle designed to get its leader to State House.
The SG also dismissed some recommendations submitted by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO), specifically on the referendum question arguing that was an opposition fronted proposal.
Malala flanked by Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika maintained that the time is not ripe to subject the country to another referendum.
''I disagree, I know the National Dialogue Committee did not necessarily say we go to a referendum, it is something which the opposition has been chanting about and I believe it should not be entertained, there is no time for a referendum,'' Governor Kihika stated.
Malala was accompanied by the China Communist Party representatives as the two ruling parties continue to identify potential areas for collaboration.
