Tension over ICC case reveals cracks in PNU

The reaction following Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Mutula Kilonzo’s statement that ICC suspects Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto cannot vie for the presidency if charges are confirmed has exposed the fragile state of the PNU Alliance. (READ: Mutula faulted over comments on Ocampo Six ruling)

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Democratic Movement), Mr Kenyatta (Kanu) and Internal Security minister George Saitoti (PNU) have been working on an alliance they have said they will use to hold joint nominations and to support whoever among them emerges as the winner.

The three, alongside Mr Ruto (URP), are also part of the G7 alliance seeking to field a candidate to succeed President Kibaki as well as block Prime Minister Raila Odinga from ascending to the presidency.

However, the four presidential aspirants have been busy strengthening their respective parties in a bid to comply with the Political Parties Act and other election rules ahead of the next General Election.

Though the move to strengthen their parties has been perceived as a lack of commitment to the alliance, they maintain that plans to hold joint presidential nominations before fielding a single candidate are still on course.

But sources within the political grouping said that a meeting that was to take place on Thursday between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Musyoka was cancelled following the comments made by Mr Kilonzo on Wednesday.

Experts are of the opinion that a confirmation of the charges facing Mr Ruto and Mr Kenyatta will be a political game changer and Mr Musyoka does not want people to think he is celebrating.

Biggest beneficiary

Africa Growth Initiative Director Mwangi Kimenyi argues that though the biggest beneficiary if the charges are confirmed is likely to be Mr Odinga, other possible beneficiaries of this outcome would be Mr Musyoka and Prof Saitoti.

“With Kenyatta and Ruto pushed out of the political scene, new alliances will likely form that would probably increase ethnic polarisation. But as Kenya’s history has shown, in politics there are no permanent enemies and it is likely that the ICC ruling could result in very strange alliances,” Mr Kimenyi said.

The VP and his allies have distanced themselves from Mr Kilonzo’s comments. Nominated MP Mohammed Affey termed the statement “reckless” while Wiper’s chairman and Mwingi South MP David Musila went a step further and declared that the party supports Mr Kenyatta’s bid for the presidency.

Mr Kilonzo had on Wednesday taken Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to task over their plans to run for the presidency even if the charges against them at the ICC are confirmed. “It is just impunity because you can’t take a court of law for granted and we don’t know what the court will say,” said Mr Kilonzo. (READ: ICC: Mutula dismisses Uhuru, Ruto presidential bid)

In what appeared to be damage control, the VP, who is in a working alliance with Mr Kenyatta, distanced himself from Mr Kilonzo and so did his party.

“Hon Mutula has many times contradicted my views and statements, including during the shuttle diplomacy which was aimed at dismissing the ICC process to allow the reformed judiciary to handle the cases locally,” said Mr Musyoka in a statement on Facebook.

The VP’s posted his comment just after Mr Kenyatta’s spokesman, Mr Munyori Buku, dismissed the Justice minister’s sentiments.

“Let him state the law as it is. This country is governed by the law and not the feelings or mood of an individual. That is unless there was an ulterior motive from the start,” Mr Buku said.

Mr Musyoka on Friday said he had met with the Justice minister on Thursday evening and the latter would issue a statement clarifying the issue. Mr Kilonzo had not made the statement by Saturday.