The United Democratic Alliance Secretary General Cleophas Malala now says no one will be forced to join the ruling party.
Speaking during a media interview on Tuesday, Malala who has been pestering the parties to fold and join UDA said they have no problem working with ANC and Ford Kenya even if they don't fold.
Ford Kenya, led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, and ANC, formerly led by Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi have maintained that they will not close shop to join UDA.
"We have said we are not forcing anyone. If ANC and Ford Kenya feel they do not want to dissolve their parties, we respect that. We will go as they want and we will continue working with the leaders," Malala said.
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He however cautioned the parties saying their independence could haunt them in future in the event they will be seeking Parliamentary leadership.
"When we will want to elect the Speaker of the National Assembly, they should allow ANC, Ford Kenya and UDA to field candidates. It shouldn't be that we use certain conditions at the lower level and apply different terms at the top," he said.
Malala dismissed claims that the call for affiliate parties to join UDA is a ploy to kill democracy in the country.
He said Kenya Kwanza has only 14 parties whose dissolution into a single political vehicle still leaves room for tens of other parties to check the government.
"Multipartysim will still be achieved via those other parties outside Kenya Kwanza. And we are not forcing anyone to dissolve their party to join UDA but there's no need to have many parties with the same ideology."
