Political Rumble in ANC: You are on your own, party officials tell Mudavadi
The uncertainty within the Amani National Congress (ANC) party regarding the proposition of merging with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) persisted yesterday, as additional officials distanced themselves from any discussions of such a move.
The ongoing turmoil within the political party established by Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi has deepened as the party’s leadership adamantly opposes any move to dissolve it to form a dominant ruling party in the nation.
ANC Secretary-General Omboko Milemba reassured party supporters that the party is not disbanding and affirmed their commitment to remaining active in politics.
Instead, the Emuhaya MP stated that they are presently engaged in a widespread campaign to increase party membership, aiming to bolster the party by attracting new members.
“I want to tell everyone that we are not folding. We are not collapsing the party but we are in the process of recruiting even more members,” said Mr Milemba.
“ANC will be a very important party and that is why we shall not fold it and it shall be the baseline to accommodate various candidates. We shall also be shopping for the best candidate,” he added.
He addressed the crowd in Kakamega during the party’s awareness campaign to mobilize its supporters from Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, and Vihiga counties, which are considered the party’s stronghold.
The national chairperson of the party, Kevin Lunani, dismissed suggestions of the party’s demise with a laugh, asserting that President Ruto should pursue his re-election under the party’s banner.
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“ANC is here to stay and no one should spread fear that we are folding. They should not think of folding the ANC but think of the President vying with the ANC in 2027. We will ensure we have more power and if possible be one of the principals in any new coalition in 2027,” said Mr Lunani.
“ANC is not folding. We have strategies and plans to commence recruitment which promises to be very competitive as we are the second-largest party in KKA,” he added.
The most recent update stems from Mr. Mudavadi’s statements in Bomet, where he suggested the possibility of another significant shift in the political landscape, reminiscent of the one that characterized his endorsement of President Ruto before the August 2022 elections.
The Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs proposed a new initiative aimed at bolstering the UDA party, indicating that he believes persuading his ANC allies to join UDA would enhance the ruling party’s position for the upcoming 2027 elections.
“I want to make it clear to other ANC supporters, although I may not be the official party leader today, as a strong member of the ANC party, I must tell you frankly our conversation must be serious about how to strengthen the Kenya Kwanza administration and how to work very closely with UDA which is the principal party in the coalition and to even engage in deeper debates,” said Mr Mudavadi.
“Don’t ask me which deeper debates. That’s for another day. Another earthquake is in the offing,” he added.
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On Tuesday, Kennedy Omulo Junior, the Political Affairs Director of the ANC, stated that Mudavadi’s comments in Bomet were misunderstood. He clarified that the former deputy prime minister was emphasizing the importance of unity and collective support for President Ruto’s agenda, rather than engaging in internal rivalry or sabotage.
“He (Mudavadi) meant that leaders must take political responsibility to ensure that all the promises made by Kenya Kwanza to the people of Kenya are fulfilled,” said Mr Omulo Junior.
Further, he stated that the ANC functions as a political entity with both members and elected officials, emphasizing that any decision to disband it would require the approval of all members by the Party Constitution.
“To this end, I must say that if ANC were to fold, then all other affiliate parties within Kenya Kwanza, including UDA, must also fold to form one political party,” he said.
David Ndakwa, the minority leader of the Kakamega County Assembly, stated that they are bolstering their party to increase their leverage during negotiations with other members of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
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“When they register, we are also registering. When they go for elections, we are also going for elections because politics with parties is about structures and numbers. We want to get the numbers so that when we go to the negotiating table with other affiliates we also have bargaining power as the ANC,” said the West Kabras Ward MCA.
Mr. Milemba stated that the party plans to initiate a grassroots election following the conclusion of the mass recruitment campaign next month.
Milemba mentioned that they have secured the necessary funds and finalized all logistical arrangements to commence operations from the grassroots level up to the national scale.
“Let us continue with our recruitment to give us more power in the party. We have agreed that all delegates continue with the mass registration. We are telling those who have ambitions to hold party positions to continue strengthening their factions in readiness for the grassroots elections,” said Milemba.
Political Rumble in ANC: You are on your own, party officials tell Mudavadi