MP Barasa censures Malala over call to fold Ford Kenya, ANC parties

Kimilili Member of Parliament (MP) Didmus Barasa has asked Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang’ula and his Amani National Congress (ANC) boss Musalia Mudavadi to ignore the call to merge parties in the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala is mulling for Ford Kenya and ANC parties to fold and join President Ruto’s UDA party, a move that has been dismissed by Ford Kenya MPs and MCA in the region.

Malala argued that the two are small parties and that they cannot produce a President on their own saying that the merging will make UDA stronger.

Speaking at an Education event in Bumula on Friday, Barasa said that Malala’s move purely aims at causing division in the ruling coalition.

He asked National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to ignore the call.

“UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala should stop the narratives he is telling us. His moves aim at causing cracks in the coalition, something that the soldiers will not agree with," Barasa stated.

Bumula MP Jack Wamboka also promised to stand and defend the National Assembly speaker Moses Wetang’ula.

“I am an Azimio MP in the parliament but I can’t allow anybody to touch on Wetang’ula because he is our own and the only person we look up to for the negotiations at the national table, Wetang’ula is a great negotiator,” Wamboka told the Star.

Kimilili lawmaker said that the Jubilee party was very strong but it was divided immediately when former President Uhuru Kenyatta isolated his Deputy William Ruto and chased Ruto’s followers out of the party.

“We were in the Jubilee with now President William Ruto but things went south when President Uhuru Kenyatta isolated us and forced us out of the party, We moved on and formed the UDA party,” he said.

Barasa appreciated ANC, Ford Kenya, Maendeleo Chap Chap, and PAA parties for believing in President Ruto and accepting to form a coalition with him.

“The small parties that Cleophas Malala was calling village parties brought together two things to our coalition; votes and the perception that Kenya Kwanza was going to win the elections,” he said.

He, however, said that it is very unfortunate for a person like Malala to begin disparaging parties that helped the coalition take power.

“We have to respect small people like the mama mbogas and village elders because they played a key role in forming the hustler government,” he said.

He added;

“Ignore Malala because President William Ruto appreciates all parties whether small or huge that participated in forming the Kenya Kwanza government.”