Uhuru’s party sets itself up for multiple opposition in region

Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s new TNA party will be up against enormous opposition as it seeks to consolidate support in the Mount Kenya region.

Political parties who also look up to the region for support have not taken kindly assertions by politicians associated with Mr Kenyatta that they should dissolve themselves and support the DPM for the presidency through his TNA.

The latest controversy was touched off by assistant minister Lewis Nguyai reportedly warning such parties to dissolve and support TNA or else they [Mr Kenyatta’s allies] would move to the ground and finish them politically.

Mr Nguyai, the Kabete MP, was reported as saying in Ol Kalou TNA would prefer to have voters elect “dogs in TNA colours than other candidates running on different party tickets”.

TNA officials have termed Mr Nguyai’s utterances as personal and unfortunate.

“We respect other parties. We shall engage like-minded parties but with the knowledge the law does not allow corporate membership,” said TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja.

“It is up to the parties themselves. If they think their policies are in line with those of TNA and dissolve, that is for them to decide but until we enter into a working arrangement, we will compete with other parties for support in the entire country.”

Parties associated with the Mount Kenya region include PNU led by Internal Security minister George Saitoti, the Grand National Union (GNU) identified with assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri and the Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) fronted by Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi.

Others are assistant minister Peter Kenneth’s Kenya National Congress (KNC) and the Democratic Party (DP) on whose ticket Gachoka MP Mutava Musyimi plans to run for the presidency.

Gichugu MP Martha Karua who hails from the region has worked tirelessly to remove the Mount Kenya tag from her Narc Kenya party, saying she is a national leader.

It is widely acknowledged that the multiplicity of parties associated with the area was occasioned by the delay by Mr Kenyatta to name the party he will be using to run for the presidency in the next elections.

Also, the region has a history of supporting more than one party since the reintroduction of political pluralism in 1992.

Mr Kenyatta enjoys massive support in the region and some of the parties even hoped he would join one of them.

The ICC question is also at play with some of the parties hoping inherit Mr Kenyatta’s support in the region in the event his case in The Hague-based court stops him from contesting the presidential election.

Those who follow politics in Mount Kenya say Mr Nguyai’s statement cannot be ignored as it represents the thinking in TNA and by extension Mr Kenyatta.

Mr Nguyai is said to be close to the DPM and was a witness for the DPM’s defence during the confirmation of charges hearings at the ICC last year.

Mr Kiunjuri reached for parables to suggest that Mr Nguyai might have been doing someone else’s bidding.

“Every dog has its owner and when it barks as instructed it gets a bone as reward for a job well done,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

‘Dictatorship of highest order’

He termed what Mr Nguyai’s statement as reeking of “dictatorship of the highest order”, adding that with such friends, Mr Kenyatta does not need enemies.

“GNU will not dissolve but will be on the ballot paper. TNA must know there are reasons why people join some parties and not others. It is unfortunate they are fighting GNU which has all along supported Mr Kenyatta. Parties are not fought like that but through competition,” he said in an interview.

GNU secretary general Nderitu Gachagua said the party – which appeared to have been the target of Mr Nguyai’s outburst – is legally compliant and cannot stop members from seeking positions in the General Election.

“TNA can only have one candidate per position. We cannot stop our members from exercising their democratic right to stand for election,” Mr Gachagua said at press conference in Nairobi.

Mr Gachagua reiterated the party’s position that it supported Mr Kenyatta for the presidency but other positions in central Kenya should be filled competitively.

“It is statements like these which constitute hate speech. It can set brother against brother,” Mr Gachagua said.

DP secretary general Chris Murungaru termed the statement attributed to TNA as intellectual naive, saying that the genie of multiparty democracy was no longer in the bottle.

DP, he said, had a history, having produced the third president and it would be dishonest to dissolve such a party.

President Kibaki founded the party and used it to unsuccessfully the 1992 and 1997 presidential elections.

Dr Murungaru called on TNA to instead seek to build a coalition that would support one candidate for the presidency.

“They should learn from history that Central Province voters have never been in one party. Putting people in one political party breeds arrogance and unfairness. The new Constitution envisages a multiplicity of parties which is reinforced by the Political Parties Act meaning Kenyans desire political space so that they can realise their full potential,” Dr Murungaru said in an interview.

Mr Murungi was categorical his “bus” party will not dissolve but stand by the agreement signed by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Prof Saitoti and Mr Kenyatta requiring them to support one candidate competitively selected.

“The ‘bus’ will not dissolve. We will support the three as par the protocol they signed. We in the party will decide who will be our presidential candidate from among them. Mr Nguyai is not our member and should talk for TNA and leave the ‘bus’ alone,” Mr Murungi said in a text message to the Sunday Nation.

PNU secretary general Maina Kamanda said Kenyans would not allow anyone to take them to the old Kanu days where some leaders would issue directives because they were perceived as popular in some regions.

Mr Kamanda said his party would work with like-minded parties to identify a single presidential candidate whom they will support.

New Constitution

Under the new Constitution, he said, it would not be easy for a section of the party leadership to dissolve their parties and join others.

All they can do is to work towards an agreement within the confines of the law otherwise they will be beaten hands down by the ODM, he said.

“We can hold on our own and get votes in the region. Although we support the idea of a single candidate, the party will not dissolve but will work with others as stipulated by the Constitution,” Mr Kamanda said.

Mr Kamanda warned TNA to forget there will be euphoria in Mount Kenya that would tilt the balance in favour of the party adding that his party was keen to support an “outsider”.

Mkenya Solidarity Movement party leader GG Kariuki urged Mr Nguyai to “exercise intelligent sycophancy”.

“They will run around trying to appease their master but instead they are spoiling for him,” said Mr Kariuki, a former Cabinet minister.

Mkenya Solidarity Movement is fronted by the organisers of the Limuru 2B meeting.

One of the organisers of the meeting, Mr Wambugu Ngunjiri, says competition for the region’s vote would go a notch higher with the planned launch of the party at the Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi soon.

“‘Mkenya is a political party that will also borrow its support heavily from the central Kenya region, which makes it a natural opponent to the recently launched TNA. Central Kenya will be an exciting place to watch political competition during this general elections,” Mr Ngunjiri said in a statement sent to the media.

Others associated with Limuru 2B are former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga, senior counsel Paul Muite and retired Anglican Archbishop David Gitari.

Farmers Party leader David Kigochi said parties with registration certificates were “equal in the eyes of the law” and should be allowed to advance what they stand for.

“Let us avoid this big brother mentality. You cannot force people to belong to one party in this era and age,” said Mr Kigochi, who hails from Mr Kenyatta’s Gatundu South Constituency.

Additional reporting by Billy Muiruri