THE majority of Jubilee affiliate parties are unlikely to merge as ordered by next week.
Yesterday the Star learnt that most of the parties under the Jubilee Alliance have refused to dissolve themselves into the Jubilee Party, making the March deadline untenable.
Former Cabinet Minister Noah Wekesa, the man responsible for putting together the merger, yesterday would not confirm that the March deadline set by a steering committee was off.
“We should not put a particular deadline. There are issues we want to address before the party is inaugurated. We don't want to rush,” Wekesa told the Star on the phone.
The steering committee, co-chaired by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and former Kwanza MP Wekesa, had set March as the deadline when all the parties under the Jubilee Alliance umbrella were expected to have endorsed dissolution plans and joined the Jubilee Party.
JP, the party both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto are expected to use to defend their seats at the 2017 elections, faces both political and legal hurdles that have compounded the merger plans.
Complications in the Political Parties Act are another reason why the owners of the Jubilee parties are reluctant to dissolve their parties into JP.
Section 11 of the Political Parties Act allows an MP or MCA to join another party or be identified as an independent member, but is silent on what happens to the President, DP, governors and their deputies in the case of party dissolution.
Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee has introduced amendments to the Political Parties Act to address the issue.
MPs, especially from TNA and URP, are reported to have developed cold feet, citing fears over the nomination process.
The steering committee has recommended that nominations for senator, governor, MP and MCA be done at the county level.
When the Star contacted Wekesa yesterday, the former Cabinet minister vehemently denied reports that the much-anticipated merger will not take place, saying the steering committee is currently holding regional sensitization meetings in various counties.
“All is well, the merger will finally happen. It is false to say some of our leaders are opposed to the merger. In fact, they are participating in all the regional meetings we are holding. On Friday this week, we will be holding meetings for the Western region counties,” Wekesa said.
He said eight parties have already submitted their dissolution resolutions.
Among them are The National Alliance, United Republican Party, Alliance Party of Kenya, Chama Cha Uzalendo, the Grand National Union of Kenya, the Republican Party, Democratic Front (UDF) and New Ford Kenya.
