Merger or takeover? Inside ANC-UDA deal

The much touted merger between the ruling United Democratic Alliance party (UDA) and Amani National Congress (ANC) was actually a dissolution.  

The Standard has established that Prime cabinet minister Musalia Mudavadi 10year old baby was swallowed by the dominant UDA.  

Consequently, all the ANC's Members of parliament are now free to join any political formation or remain partyless after their party ceased to exist with effect from Friday, February 7, 2025 when their National Delegates conference okayed the dissolution of the party. 

ANC which had promised a political earthquake in 2022 never witnessed before in the history of the country produced 7 members of parliament and one governor.  They are Omboko Milemba (Emuhaya) Charles Gimose( Hamisi) Fred Ikana (Shinyalu) Kassim Tandaza(Matuga) Ernest Kagesi(Vihiga) Malulu Ijendi (Malava) and Beatrice Adagala ( Vihiga County Women Representative.  The party also wom LLamu gubenatorial race which made Issa Timamy governor. Tee party also has 33 MCAs. 

Knowledgeable sources within the government have told The Standard how the top leadership of the ruling party are have reconsidered their decision to merge given the timing where the country is immersed in major political alignments and change of allegiance by the elected leaders, a move that may jeopardize the government agenda in the houses.

According to the Political Parties Act, the merger agreement signed shall be deposited with the Registrar within twenty-one days of the signing of the agreement. Despite UDA and ANC entering into an agreement on January 17, they have not submitted their agreement to the Registrar of Political Parties.

The Standard has learnt that although the leadership of the two parties had expressed intention to lodge the merger instruments at the Registrar of Political Parties, but backtracked to avert a fall out, thanks to the window provided for by Article 11 sub section 8 of the Political Parties Act.

The Act reads in part “…a member who is a President, Deputy President, Governor or Deputy Governor, Member of Parliament or member of a County Assembly, and who does not desire to be a member of the new political party registered after the merger shall continue to serve in such elected office for the remainder of the term, and may join another political party or choose to be an independent member within thirty days of the registration of the new party.”

With the High court ruling that Azimio coalition is the majority coalition in the National Assembly, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s rising popularity and his threat to form a new party, may lead to mass exodus UDA MPs in Mt Kenya region to save their political career.

The President is said to have backtracked his merger initiative and instead convinced Mudavadi’s party to dissolve to avert a crisis of a President who had no control of MPs.

“After consultations, we discovered that the President was not assured of the control of the elected leaders and reconsidered our merger approach to ANC dissolution. This means that ANC MPs are at liberty to either join UDA or other political parties for the remainder of their term, but since they don’t have numbers, we deemed it fit to approach it that way as opposed to risking losing the original identity of UDA,” a source said.

ANC legal and Constitutional compliance officer Dr Alutalala Mukhwana confirmed to the Standard on phone that the ANC on Friday met at Bomas and agreed to dissolve to join the UDA party where he was appointed to oversee the process of dissolution of the party.

“Members agreed to dissolve the party and also gave the authority to transfer all the assets and liabilities of the party to the UDA party,” he said. Asked what happened to the issue of merge he said’ "that was before.”

 During the Friday meeting held at the Bomas of Kenya, ANC leadership said their decision was strategically aimed at strengthening UDA's future, saying it would culminate in President Ruto supporting Mudavadi’s Presidential bid in 2032.

Outgoing Secretary General and Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba said the party’s move would provide the necessary political advantage for Mudavadi’s Presidential candidature in future.

“Our eyes are on 2032. The decision we have taken is because the road is bumpy,” he told the National Delegates Conference.

Following the ANC’s dissolution, its records, assets and liabilities, rights and obligations be the records, assets and liabilities, rights and obligations of the UDA party including their entitlement to the Political Parties Fund.

Farmers Party, a party affiliated to Irungu Nyakera, the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) board chairperson Irungu Nyakera had registered his displeasure with the proposed merger saying by the dint of the move, it also sought to ‘technically end the existing Kenya Kwanza coalition.

According to Nyakera, the move was counterproductive as all the other 11 parties were at liberty to move out if they felt that their political goals were not aligned with the new move.

“As for the Farmers party we have maintained that we shall not merge or dissolve. We shall remain strong as we come up with plans for future engagements, “said Nyakera one of the Principals of the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, who is also UDA Secretary legal affairs said majority of the MPs from Mt Kenya region deemed Ruto’s decision to seek partnership with other parties a blessing in disguise as they would be free to join a coalition of their choice without the legal hurdles.

“We are done with Ruto’s government, I no longer care about my position in the party. Majority of us see his political miscalculations as a blessing to us especially those who fear joining Gachagua’s camp for fear of political repercussions After his move, it will be mass exodus,” he said.