UDA, ANC Merge to Create United Democratic Alliance Party

President William Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has merged forces with Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) party.

The new formation announced at a press briefing at State House by UDA Chairperson, Governor Cecily Mbarire, will be called the United Democratic Alliance Party. 

The United Democratic Alliance Party will be rebranded to include ANC’s colours and logos. The merger is set to continue the expansion of Ruto’s party into the Western region.

Announced on Friday, January 17, the merger comes after months of talks. The merger is expected to expand the ruling party that has a coalition agreement within Kenya Kwanza.

The new alliance party will be incorporating ANC’s secretariat members, including directors and staff that will support the direction of the new formation.

Under the new formation, Issa Timami has been tapped as the deputy party leader. The Vice Chairman of the party will be Kelvin Lunani, while the Deputy Secretary General will be Omboko Milemba.

According to Mbarire, the process of merging the two parties began early last year but was forced to stall following challenges the ruling party was facing.

However, she hailed the new Deputy Party leader, Kithure Kindiki, for initiating it immediately after he ascended to the position.

“The merger was scheduled for last year but stalled because of challenges and bottlenecks, but because of our new deputy party leader, he ensured to open up that process, unlocked and straightened all the obstacles to ensure we get here,” Mbarire explained.

Mbarire revealed that the merger unlocked a new level for the party, noting that it is no longer a party that locked out the rest of the nation and no longer a party of shareholding.

“This is the face of a united Kenya where every Kenyan needs to be,” she emphasized. 

The party has formed a merger committee that will ensure that within the next 90 days, all merger activities, including incorporating ANCs identity symbols in the logo, topography imagery, and brand of the new merge party, to ensure full implementation and compliance.

In June 2024, UDA was also in talks to merge with the FORD-Kenya party, in a move aimed at seeing the Kenya Kwanza affiliates fold into one large party.