Ford-K dismisses calls to dissolve, asks UDA to respect partners

Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetangula at a past press conference. [File, Standard]

Disquiet is building up in the ruling coalition with the entry of the ODM party, which is pushing for its irreducible minimums in a pre-election pact with President William Ruto's UDA.

This comes as one of the Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties, Ford Kenya, launched a scathing attack over what it termed as attempts of forced mergers.

Party Secretary General John Chikati has pointed to a simmering falling out if the attempts to intimidate some of the partners of the ruling coalition continue, insisting that one of the oldest parties will not fold.

The dispute was triggered by remarks made by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who suggested that leaders of affiliate parties unwilling to dissolve risk being locked out of government appointments in the next administration.

But Chikati said the utterances were not only outrageous but a direct affront to the democratic fabric of the country.

“Ford Kenya has noted with deep concern the consistent and sustained threats issued by senior leaders within UDA most recently articulated by Cherargei. We must ask what is the true objective of this mission to vanquish affiliate parties,” said the Tongaren MP at the party headquarters.

“If the goal was unity, the results speak for themselves. Since the dissolution of parties like Amani National Congress to join UDA, we have witnessed a leadership vacuum where members now claim to be politically homeless. This has led to mass exodus of members; some joining Ford Kenya to find refuge while others have retreated to the opposition parties. Forced mergers do not create unity, they create resentment and instability.”

The party urged the coalition partners to remain focused on the promises they made to the electorate.

“Is this a threat aimed at forcing leaders to fold their parties. Are they targeting specific individuals who hold senior positions within government? Why are such reckless statements being made so casually? Even if this proposal was to be formally presented, let me be clear that our position remains unchanged. Ford Kenya, the Simba Party, will not fold,” he said.

The party said it is concerned by what they described as glaring contradictions, where on one hand, some leaders are calling for the dissolution of affiliate parties, while on the other, they are openly pursuing alliances with other parties like ODM.

“This kind of double speak raises serious questions about sincerity, consistency, and the true agenda behind these calls. We categorically reject the threats made by Cherargei and others who suggest that positions in government are contingent upon folding our party,” said the party.

In January last year, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavidi's ANC dissolved to join UDA. A year later, the High Court reversed the dissolution and declared it unconstitutional.

But UDA dismissed the ruling, saying that the court ruling was based on incorrect assumption that the two parties merged.

And now, Ford-K has termed calls to dissolve as a betrayal of partnership.

“To demand the dissolution of Ford Kenya now is to bite the finger that once fed you. It implies that affiliate parties were merely a ladder to power, to be discarded once the summit was reached,” Chikati uttered.

“Ford Kenya is part of the national heritage and history. ​The current leadership of Ford Kenya are merely trustees of an entity that belongs to the people of Kenya. We have no mandate, morally or legally, to fold up a party that represents the history of our liberation."

And affirmed: ​"FORD Kenya cannot and will not be dissolved. It can only be enhanced and protected for future generations."

He said Kenyans are being raised on why some top UDA leaders are on a mission to vanquish the very parties that secured their victory, what their hidden agenda and motivation is all about.

​ “We must look beyond the current electoral cycle. What will happen in 2032 when President Ruto’s term will come to an end? If we establish a precedent where parties are swallowed at the whim of the ruling elite, we jeopardize the stability of our nation. In developed democracies worldwide, parties remain as institutions while leaders come and go. That is the standard we must uphold,” Chikati insisted.