The dozen political parties making up the Kenya Kwanza alliance could wind up to form a single political machine reminiscent of the 2016 Jubilee merger.
In the run-up to the 2017 general election, President William Ruto-then the Deputy President and Jubilee deputy leader-engineered a radical merger that saw at least 12 political parties collapse.
It has emerged that President Ruto is again keen to have the Kenya Kwanza partners wind up and cobble a gigantic political machine that will face off with veteran opposition chief Raila Odinga's Azimio.
Ruto's UDA party, the Kenya Kwanza big brother, has given clear signals of the plans to have all the constituent parties fold up in readiness for the President's biggest and final political fight of his life.
Newly installed UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala on Monday affirmed that the party will push for a merger of affiliates 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 at his unveiling ceremony at the Hustler Centre.
The former Kakamega senator hinted that his immediate assignment would be to spearhead discussions with the affiliate parties in Kenya Kwanza to realise the merger dream.
“One of my mandates is to begin a dialogue with our partners to ensure that we have one party against our opponents,” Malala revealed.
“We can not have one government and several colours, that is our position and we shall talk to others.”
President Ruto's decision to tap Malala from Musalia Mudavadi's Amani National Congress, where he served as secretary general, points out a clear merge path ahead of 2027.
Malala was a high-ranking ANC linchpin, who is said to have played a central role in the Ruto-Musalia political deal in 2022, birthing the Kenya Kwanza.
Besides, UDA and ANC, other Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties include National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula's Ford Kenya, Maendeleo Chap Chap under Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi's Pamoja Alliance.
Others are the Economic Freedom Party, The Service Party, Umoja Maendeleo Party, Chama Cha Kazi, Communist Party, Devolution Party of Kenya, Democratic Party and Farmers party.
Chama Cha Mashinani, Grand Dream Development Party and the National Agenda Party of Kenya are other political parties that signed a deal with Kenya Kwanza.
In 2016, Ruto is said to have engineered what became one of the most radical political shake-ups that created a Jubilee behemoth after 12 political parties were wound up.
The parties that collapsed included Ruto's own URP and then President Uhuru Kenyatta's TNA outfit, the Grand National Union, The Independent Party and Ford People.
Others were United Democratic Forum, New Ford Kenya, Alliance Party of Kenya, Republican Congress and Unity Party of Kenya.
Speaking at the Kasarani Gymnasium during the unveiling of the Jubilee party on September 10, 2016, Ruto, who was named the Jubilee deputy party leader, said the merger was aimed at ending inter-communal fighting.
“We are laying a firm new foundation for the politics and leadership and the management of public affairs of our country going forward because, for much of the multiparty era, our practice of politics has given democracy a very bad name," said Ruto.
"Too many people, much of the time, multiparty democracy is a tower of burden. Democracy is seen to be chaotic, noisy, unreliable, dangerous and sometimes very divisive.”
