Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi of ANC….Photo/File

NAIROBI, Kenya

 In a ruling that felt less like jurisprudence and more like a software update, a Kenyan court on Thursday pressed Ctrl + Z on the much-touted merger between Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) and President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), declaring the political union unlawful and unconstitutional.

The verdict effectively restored ANC from the political graveyard, confirming that—contrary to popular belief and several press conferences—it never actually died.

The party, the court ruled, remains a duly registered political party, alive, kicking, and now demanding its stuff back.

Yes, all assets taken to UDA must be returned—a legal way of saying: “Bring back the furniture, the letterheads, the logos, and whatever else you carried away during the honeymoon.”

Political commentator Stephen Leto, reacting on Facebook with barely concealed delight, described the ruling as “a reminder that Kenyan politics may move fast, but the law walks with a receipt.”

In his telling, the merger was less a wedding and more a rushed elopement—without witnesses, consent, or proper paperwork.

For ANC loyalists, the ruling was nothing short of a resurrection miracle. The party that had been folded, packed, and shelved under UDA’s big tent has now been officially unfolded, ironed and handed back to its owners—creases and all.

UDA, meanwhile, is left staring at the inventory list, possibly wondering how a merger announced with songs, handshakes and campaign posters ended with a court-ordered return policy.

Sources close to the matter say the judgment may force a painful political audit: What exactly was taken, who took it, and does it still work?

Mudavadi, who once assured supporters that the merger was strategic, historic and irreversible, now finds himself associated with a rare Kenyan phenomenon—a political divorce finalized after the wedding photos were framed.

As the dust settles, one thing is clear: in Kenyan politics, not every merger is permanent, not every goodbye is final and sometimes the courts remind everyone that even power must follow procedure.

For ANC, it’s back to life.

For UDA, it’s back to the drawing board.

And for Kenyan politics, it’s yet another episode proving that satire often struggles to keep up with reality.