- The party secretary general, Cleophas Malala said UDA was persuading Kenya Kwanza's sister parties to fold up to create a strong national political party.
- He said the merger was supposed to happen before the UDA grassroots elections which have since been pushed to April.
Image: LOISE MACHARIA
United Democratic Alliance has hinted at creating a merger with all the Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties by April next year.
The party secretary general, Cleophas Malala said UDA was persuading Kenya Kwanza's sister parties to fold up to create a strong national political party.
He said the merger was supposed to happen before the UDA grassroots elections which have since been pushed to April.
Malala said a unified party would have a longer life instead of having temporary parties which serve as election vehicles only.
He spoke in Nakuru’s Section 58 Estate during the launch of the first UDA regional office.
Malala was accompanied by Governor Susan Kihika and her deputy, David Kones
The national party official who had accompanied a delegation from China’s Communist Party added a strong national party would ensure political tranquillity.
“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,” he said.
Malala added that the postponement was also meant to allow more time for member registration as well as candidates at all levels.
He urged members to continue the rigorous members drive and registration of candidates to have a strong political party.
He revealed that UDA would have areas of collaboration with the Communist Party of China on issues of capacity building for its secretariat.
There is going to be a first-ever digital general elections in Kenya since independence, technology is an emerging issues where UDA needs capacity building from the Communist Party,” he said.
Malala added that the collaboration was meant to help the UDA secretariat conduct free and fair digital elections and support in setting up of an ultra-modern UDA headquarters.
He revealed that the party acquired land to build its headquarters offices and a UDA leadership school to mentor young leaders.
The politician warned party members who were publicly opposing government positions and the directions of President Ruto.
He warned that stern disciplinary action would be such members saying that an elected leader publicly contradicting party positions and the party leader’s directions were indicators of unprofessionalism,
“I want to state here categorically that UDA shall institute internal mechanisms to deal with such members,” he said.
He said such members do not understand the manifesto under which the Kenya Kwanza government was elected not the party’s programs and doctrines.
He wondered if an elected party member who be addressing their perceived problems in public yet there were available avenues to address their grievances including the monthly Parliamentary Group meetings where they meet the President.
“President Ruto was elected on the promise of economic transformation and he has been putting in place programs to salvage this country from the dungeons of economic depression,” he said.
He maintained the party’s stand against the referendum being fronted by Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.
“All the proposals made by the dialogue team will be implemented by the Parliament, alternatively ODM can wait until the next general election and have the referendum question answered at the polls,” he said.
Malala said the Nakuru regional office would handle Nakuru and Nyandarua counties.
He said the office and the secretariat there in would be impartial and assured members that they would be served without favouritism.