Trade Cabinet Secretary nominee and Chama Cha Kazi Party leader has issued a 21-day notice to dissolve his party and merge with United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Moses Kuria has notified the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu that his party will join forces with President William Ruto.
Political parties may consider a merger for varied reasons which include; vote maximisation, office maximisation and similarity in policy or ideology.
In Kuria’s case, he wants a merger due to office maximisation after his appointment as a CS.
According to Political Parties Act, 2011, political parties entering into a merger shall deposit with the Registrar, the merger agreement, documentation showing that the rules and procedures of political parties entering into a merger have been followed and minutes of the meeting of the governing bodies of each of the political parties entering into the merger sanctioning the merger.
After political parties merge and upon receiving the letter of confirmation of the merger, the Registrar shall issue certificate of full registration.
The Registrar shall amend the Registry of Political Parties by replacing the names of the merging parties with the name of the new political party.
The merger of two or more registered political parties into one new party has these consequences:
- The new party is the successor of both/all merging parties. The former parties cease to exist and no longer appear as parties in the Registry of Political Parties from the date of 4 the merger.
- The new party becomes a registered party.
- The assets of each merging party belong to the new party.
- The new party is responsible for the liabilities of each merging party.
- The new party is responsible for the obligations of each merging party to report on its financial transactions and election expenses for any period before the merger took effect.
- The new party replaces each merging party in any legal proceedings – whether civil, penal or administrative – by or against a merging party.
- Any decision of a judicial or quasi-judicial nature involving a merging party may be enforced by or against the new party.
- The registered associations of the merging parties will become deregistered.
- A new party is entitled to the combined total of the allowances to which the merging parties would be entitled if they had not merged.
When political parties merge into a new party, their five particulars shall be removed from the register of political parties and their names, symbols, logos and colours shall not be registered by any political party for a period of five years.