Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had a family of sons who were always quarrelling among themselves. One day, the father decided to teach them a lesson about the importance of unity.
He called his sons together and gave them a bundle of sticks. He told them to try to break the bundle, but they were unable to do so. Then he untied the bundle and gave each son a stick. Each stick was easily broken.
"Do you see?" the father said. "When you are united, you are strong. But when you are divided, you are weak."
In the history of political parties in Kenya, most parties have been managed and treated as fiefdoms in which democracy is never at its core.
It was, therefore, a big surprise when the President called for a United Democratic Alliance National Governing Council this Friday with the core objective of grassroots elections in December.
I have been involved in the establishment of a couple of political parties—TNA in 2012 and Jubilee in 2017. None of those parties ever called for grassroots elections, with the fear of a possible fallout.
It’s instrumental to note the timing of these elections, slightly a year after the general election with the objective being to consolidate strengths and avert fallouts in the future
A survey last week by TIFA named UDA as the country’s most popular party with 35 per cent national support, and is projected to maintain this popularity into the next general election. Therefore this NGC is very timely.
The NGC must create a democratic platform for all, and be open to new alliances to strengthen the party for 2027.
Like the Democratic and Republican parties in the US, UDA has an opportunity to create a party not based on personalities or elections, but rather ideologies and one that will endure for years to come.
UDA is a relatively new political party in Kenya, but it has quickly become one of the most dominant.
However, UDA is still a young party, and it faces a number of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is to maintain its unity and cohesion. UDA is a coalition of parties from different regions and with different ideological backgrounds. It is important for Ruto to find a way to keep these different factions united if the party is to continue to be successful.
Ruto needs to ensure that the party has a strong and democratic leadership structure. This means holding regular elections for party positions and giving all members a voice in the party's decision-making process.
He also needs to develop a clear and concise ideological platform for UDA. This platform should articulate the party's vision for Kenya's future and the policies that it will pursue if it is reelected to government.
Ruto needs to reach out to all Kenyans and build a broad coalition of support for UDA. This means including people from all regions, ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds in the party.
Ruto needs to invest in strengthening the UDA's organisational capacity. This includes building up the party's grassroots infrastructure and developing its capacity to run effective campaigns.
By taking these steps, Ruto can strengthen UDA and make it a more effective force in Kenyan politics. A strong and united UDA will be able to better represent the interests of the Kenyan people and deliver on the promises that it made during the 2022 election campaign.
Political parties play a vital role in any democracy. They provide a platform for citizens to organise and advocate for their interests, and they serve as a check on the power of the executive branch.
Kenya is a young democracy, and it is still developing its political party system. However, strong political parties are essential for Kenya to achieve its full democratic potential.
Building stronger political parties is not easy, but it is essential for Kenya's democratic development. Strong political parties can help to improve the quality of governance, promote national cohesion, and create a more just and equitable society.
