UDA delegation arrives in China for talks with Communist Party officials

As President William Ruto makes a state visit to the US, a delegation of the United Democratic Alliance arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a 10-day working engagement at the invitation by the Communist Party of China.

According to the Kenya Embassy in China, the delegation led by Secretary General Cleophas Malala and accompanied by Amb Willy Bett for the first visit was received by Deputy Head of Mission Amb Lynette Mwende and embassy staff at the Beijing Capital International Airport.

In the dispatch, the embassy said the visit is themed as "Party Building and Modernisation Road," and aims to strengthen bilateral ties and promote friendly cultural exchanges.

The visit is a culmination of heightened engagements between the two parties, with Malala hosting CPC executive deputy head of organisation department Jiang Xinzhi at the UDA head office in Nairobi on March 15, 2024. Following the meeting, Malala announced that the CPC would assist UDA in establishing a leadership school at the party headquarters.

Malala in March said the trip to Beijing is significant in their efforts to build a behemoth political machine ahead of 2027.

“We will not limit it to elected leaders and party officials only but also the members of the secretariat to build their capacities and become better people in the party’s affairs. We have had an elaborate discussion on the importance of exchange programmes between both political parties.,” Malala said.

Additionally, UDA executive director Nicodemus Bore said UDA would be seeking Sh1 billion financial support from CPC to put up its headquarters, which would be one of the key agendas during the tour.

Already, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has confirmed that China will support the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the construction of its new headquarters “as a visible marker of 60 years of diplomatic relations”. He made the announcement on X on May 17 when he received the technical team in charge of project design in his Old Treasury office.

CPC and UDA officials first met in October 2022, just a month after President Ruto’s swearing-in to office.

"As we benchmark with the Communist Party of China (CPC), we only admire their party strength and structures. We, therefore, urge them to copy our Party UDA Kenya in advocating for democracy, human rights and free and fair elections," then UDA party chairman Johnson Muthama said.

Again, in February 2023, at the invitation of the UDA party, a CPC delegation, led by Li Mingxiang, deputy minister of the International Department of the Central Committee, visited Kenya and briefed party officials on the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress.

The delegation was granted an audience with President Ruto, who is also the UDA party leader, and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (deputy party leader), and held working talks with then secretary general Veronica Maina now a nominated senator).

The UDA officials acknowledged how the 20th CPC National Congress had drawn a blueprint for China's future development, adding that it was willing to strengthen exchanges of experience on governance with the CPC to promote bilateral relations.

In December 2023, Deputy President Gachagua hosted another CPC delegation led by Mao Dingzi, a member of the Ministerial board of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied by Amb Zhou Pingjian at the Official Residence in Karen to discuss areas of cooperation.

Following the December 1 talks, Malala said the two sides agreed to among other things increase cooperation in. leadership exchange programmes and establishment of UDA Party Leadership School; collaboration in capacity building, strengthening of party structures and programmes; trade, Foreign Direct investments and infrastructure; and scholarships.

As UDA prepared for its first grassroots elections, the party sought ICT support.