From left is ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi, Dr. Boni Khalwale and Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe during burial service at Bunyala East in Navakholo on October 27, 2018. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Two parties in Western say their plans to merge are at an advanced stage.

The new outfit will be used by a Luhya presidential candidate in the 2022 polls, they say.

Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, who has been part of the team working on the finer details of the merger between Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya, said the Registrar of Political parties had registered the new political party.

“The All Kenyan Alliance (AKA) party is the new outfit we are going to use to sell our presidential candidate to Kenyans. We will be launching it in a month and then embark on a countrywide campaign,” said Khalwale.

Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) and Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (ODM) have all shown interest in the presidency. Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa is also said to be interested in the top seat.

Khalwale spoke yesterday at Makhima village in Navakholo during the burial of ANC politician Jacob Nanjakululu, who died aged 46 years. He had previously contested a parliamentary seat. According to Khalwale, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula would settle on a date to launch the party. He called don local leaders to support the initiative.