Mudavadi criticises President Kenyatta's merger of 12 parties

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi has faulted President Uhuru Kenyatta's announcement to merge 12 political parties, saying it is a ploy to reintroduce the single-party system.

In a statement to newsrooms on Tuesday, Mr Mudavadi said President Kenyatta's move to dissolve the parties into a monolith Jubilee Party in a month’s time leaves many questions unanswered.

Mr Mudavadi’s former party, the United Democratic Forum, was included in the merger, according to a Jubilee notice.

The party was represented by Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, who is the Jubilee deputy whip in the National Assembly.

Mr Kenyatta made the announcement on Tuesday at a ceremony at State House, Nairobi, as he met the leaders of the 12 political parties, among them Deputy President William Ruto.

The parties to be dissolved include TNA, URP, JAP, APK, UDF, New Ford Kenya, Ford People, UPK, PNU, Republican Council, TIP TIP and GNU.

“For all practical purposes, [the formation of the Jubilee Party] is motivated and driven by nostalgia for a single party system. Kenyans must be wary and on guard that this could be the beginning of life presidential terms. This is why there are illegalities being committed, the law being circumvented and flouted with impunity in the formation of [the] Jubilee Party under [the] guidance of the President," Mr Mudavadi said.

'WICKED PLOTS'

Mr Mudavadi has been rallying for Luhya unity and has said he will contest in next year’s presidential elections.  

“The ANC [Amani National Congress] calls upon Kenyans who believe in the Constitution and are ready to defend it to stand guard against wicked plots to defile it by [the] Jubilee government,” the former deputy prime minister said.

Mr Mudavadi accused President Kenyatta of forsaking the Constitution he swore to protect and defend.

“It would appear the President is working to claw back on the Constitution of Kenya in Article 4 (2) which is unmistakable that Kenya is a multi-party democracy State.

"Any deviation from this republican commitment of a multiparty State can only be aimed at reverting the country to single party rule,” he said.

Mr Mudavadi noted that the Constitution does not provide for a variation or substitution for a "duopoly of two parties as some have even suggested.”

“In any case democracy cannot be divisible and varied in doses. Second, is the Jubilee Party registered or will it be registered upon dissolution of other parties? If the party is already registered — a position disputed by the Registrar of Political Parties — then other parties can only be dissolving to merge with it,” he said. 

Mr Mudavadi asked how the nine parties would be dissolving to “nothing” if the Jubilee Party is not yet registered.

He pointed out that there was no indication that the dissolving parties have followed due process in the Political Parties Act of holding delegates' congresses to endorse the decisions of a few individuals.