Tensions have emerged within Kenya Kwanza as Ford Kenya publicly rebuked the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) over calls for affiliate parties to dissolve and fold into the President’s political outfit ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Ford Kenya, led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, accused UDA of undermining partnership agreements that helped deliver victory in 2022. The party’s Secretary-General John Chikati described the push to merge as hostile to democratic pluralism.
In a strongly worded statement, Ford Kenya said the proposal amounts to “a direct affront to the democratic space” and warned it could push the country towards political centralisation. It further argued that affiliate parties played a decisive role in forming the current administration.
“It is disheartening to witness a narrative that suggests that UDA has already secured the 2027 polls without the need for its partners. This posture is a blatant dismissal of the reality of the 2022 victory,” said Dr Chikati.
He added, “FORD Kenya, alongside other affiliate parties, played a vital and decisive role in securing the current administration’s mandate. To demand the dissolution of Ford Kenya now is to ‘bite the finger that once fed you.’”
The remarks come amid reports that President William Ruto has been encouraging Kenya Kwanza affiliates to fold into UDA as part of a broader strategy to consolidate support.
Some allies, including Amani National Congress and Pamoja African Alliance, have already moved in that direction, though not without legal and political complications.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has confirmed that his party will back UDA without fielding candidates in 2027.
The dispute highlights widening fault lines as UDA also negotiates with Orange Democratic Movement, which is seeking structured coalition terms. ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga has insisted on a formal agreement recognising equal partnership and clear governance structures.
Ford Kenya, however, maintains that it will not be dissolved, warning against what it termed attempts to revive a “single-party monolith” and urging that any such changes must follow constitutional processes.
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