Kenya Kwanza gives political parties until May 9 to join the alliance

Political parties willing to join the Kenya Kwanza alliance now have until May 9, 2022 to do so before the window is closed.

This is according to Kenya Kwanza co-principal and ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi, who spoke on Saturday at a Karen hotel when the coalition signed an agreement with National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi’s Democratic Party (DP).

Mudavadi also sought to clarify that Kenya Kwanza is not a coalition party but but rather a coalition of parties, hence stating that the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties’ (ORPP) April 9 deadline does not apply to it.

He said the coalition, which is also composed of DP William Ruto’s UDA and Moses Wetangula’s Ford-Kenya parties, will be ushering other parties into their fold until May 9 after which they will launch their final document.

“Kenya Kwanza will not be submitting anything today and we will be going in as a coalition of parties and not a coalition party...that is because we want to work with other parties and give them the opportunity to be identified, to have their respect,” he said.

“The deadline for lodging our document is actually on the 9th of May.”

The former deputy prime minister said the move by Kenya Kwanza to be a coalition of parties rather than a coalition party was so as to accord other parties their position in the coalition.

He similarly hit out at their political rivals whom he claimed were denying individual parties a voice by undermining them.

“What we have seen from our competitors is that they are trying to force an engagement that does not allow for the recognition of individual political parties but we in Kenya Kwanza are saying there is room for that recognition,” said Mudavadi.