The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has moved to clarify its position following a High Court ruling delivered on Thursday, January 22, concerning the alleged merger between the Amani National Congress (ANC) and UDA.
In a statement issued on Friday, January 23, UDA Second Deputy Party Leader and Lamu Governor Issa Timamy said the claim that ANC formally merged with UDA was incorrect, adding that the issue had already been overtaken by events.
“I have taken note of the High Court ruling on Thursday, January 22, on the matter of ANC Party having ‘merged’ with the ruling party, United Democratic Alliance (UDA). I would like to state categorically that the court ruling on the purported ANC-UDA merger is a matter that events have overtaken,” Timamy said.
He pointed to a government gazette notice issued in March 2025 as evidence that ANC dissolved itself rather than merging with another political party.
“For the record, on 14th March, 2025, vide a Gazette Notice No. 3449, the then Registrar of Political Parties, Ms Ann Nderitu, notified all and sundry that pursuant to Section 9 and 34C of the Political Parties Act, ANC at its Special National Delegates Congress on 7th February, 2025, in line with the party constitution, dissolved,” he said.
Timamy stressed that the decision was voluntary and made by ANC members in line with the party’s constitution, making claims of a merger inaccurate.
“Clearly, what was done was a voluntary dissolution by the ANC party by its members, and therefore, the matter of the ANC Party having ‘merged’ with UDA is, with respect, not factual. In fact, and in law, there was never a merger between the two political parties,” he added.
He further questioned the court’s framing of the issue, saying it was legally impossible to nullify a merger that never took place.
“Consequently, to state that the ‘merger’ has been declared ‘unlawful’ by the court is to scribble yet another fiction. You cannot nullify a decision that never was in the first place,” Timamy said.
Addressing concerns about party assets and membership, Timamy said the process after ANC’s dissolution followed the law and left no room for disputes.
“After the dissolution, all ANC assets were lawfully transferred to the UDA, and the dissolved ANC’s members were fully integrated into the UDA following due process and established legal procedures. There exists no parallel structure, no competing claim and no legal or operational ambiguity whatsoever,” he said.
On January 17, 2025, UDA announced what it described as a merger with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC Party.
During a press briefing at State House, Nairobi, UDA Chairperson Cecily Mbarire announced that Timamy would serve as Deputy Party Leader following the move. She also named Kelvin Lunani as Vice Chairperson and Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba as Deputy Secretary General.
Mbarire further announced that the party would undergo rebranding.
“The United Democratic Alliance party and the Amani National Congress have today merged as one, known as the United Democratic Alliance party, which is also going to change its name in the branding,” she said.
She added that the party had incorporated ANC’s identity symbols into its logo and branding, alongside changes in governance and operations.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) later ratified the dissolution of the ANC party in a gazette notice dated March 7, 2025.
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