Wamalwa, Ruto talk party merger

With the election still a year and a half away, a new political alliance is being mooted.

Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa announced that his party, New Ford Kenya, is to unite with the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and a yet-to-be registered party in a political outfit whose leaders will include suspended Higher Education minister William Ruto.

Mr Wamalwa said New Ford Kenya would merge with UDM. The new party will be led by Mvita MP Najib Balala, in a bid to form the next government.

They spoke as Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi disclosed that he would contest the presidency on an ODM ticket.
Mr Ruto told a rally in Kimilili on Sunday that they had agreed to join forces to win the presidency.

“I want to let you know that UDM will form a merger with the Eugene’s New Ford Kenya and another party that Mr Balala will be naming soon to ascend to power,” said Mr Ruto.

Mr Balala said: “This is the journey that will produce the next president who will spur the economy of this country to the desired levels.”
Speaking at a funeral in Busia County, Mr Mudavadi said the final decision rested with ODM members.

“To contest the presidency I must go through ODM nominations for the ticket,” he said.

And Nairobi Catholic archbishop John Cardinal Njue has called on politicians to stop wrangling and instead focus on issues that would build long-term peace in the country.

Cardinal Njue warned that Kenyans may not enjoy the fruits of the new Constitution if the issues dividing them were not addressed.
“The new Constitution, therefore, if it has to make an impact, must be a peacemaking project meant for healing and reconciliation,” he said in a 16-page pastoral letter marking the Palm Sunday.

Mr Ruto said they would back whoever won in the nominations.

“This will not be like the previous mergers where members pretended to be loyal to the nominees only to change and display their true colours later,” said Mr Ruto.

Mr Wamalwa cited Ford-Kenya, saying it disintegrated after Jaramogi Oginga Odinga died due to peer rivalry and envy. “Since then, the party’s popularity has deteriorated to the extent that it no longer commands a majority even in its own stronghold in Western Province,” he said.

The rally comes just a week after Sirisia MP Moses Wetang’ula, who is also Ford-K leader, held several meetings in the area.
There has been heightened competition between the two leaders in recent days.

Last weekend, the Luhya Council of Elders endorsed Mr Wetang’ula to run for president. However, the move was dismissed as inconsequential by local MPs and other leaders who said the council had exceeded its mandate.

New Ford Kenya leader Soita Shitanda said he would support Mr Wamalwa at the next elections.

“We have decided to back Eugene because he has what it takes to lead the Luhya community into uniting with other communities in a bid to ascend to the presidency of this nation,” said Mr Shitanda.

Others who attended were MPs Kiema Kilonzo, Fred Kapondi, nominated MP Musikari Kombo, former MPs Mukhisa Kituyi and Raphael Wanjala and Nairobi politician Stanley Livondo.