Six opposition parties in talks to join forces

Cord co-principal Moses Wetang'ula signs a condolence book at the home of Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch in Nairobi on October 18, 2016. Mr Aluoch lost his daughter in a road accident. Cord wants to team up with other parties. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • During its National Executive Committee (NEC) and Parliamentary Group meeting held at the Kyaka Hotel in Machakos on Fridday, ANC mandated Mr Mudavadi to lead talks on the formation of Nasa.
  • It is also understood a function to be held in Elgeyo-Marakwet at the end of this month to which Kanu and ANC leaders have been invited will show the direction of their talks.

Opposition political parties have started talks to form a super alliance on whose ticket they will field a candidate to challenge Jubilee’s President Uhuru Kenyatta in the next elections.

Cord affiliate parties — ODM, Wiper Party and Ford Kenya — are engaged in negotiations with Amani National Congress (ANC), Kanu and Chama cha Mashinani (CCM) to form the National Super Alliance (NASA) to battle it out with Jubilee Party in the 2017 polls.

In separate interviews, top officials of the six parties on Friday confirmed the beginning of talks and expressed hope that a deal would be reached by the leaders of the respective political outfits who have realised that it will be difficult to dislodge Jubilee from power on their own.

Cord co-principals Raila Odinga (ODM), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Party) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford-K) were mandated by their respective parties to negotiate with ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi, Baringo Senator Gideon Moi of Kanu and Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, who heads CCM.

“We left it (negotiations on the formation of a super alliance) to the leadership of Cord,” Ford-K secretary-general Eseli Simiyu said on the phone.

During its National Executive Committee (NEC) and Parliamentary Group meeting held at the Kyaka Hotel in Machakos on Fridday, ANC mandated Mr Mudavadi to lead talks on the formation of Nasa.

In a statement at the end of the meeting, the party said all Kenyans who were dissatisfied with the Jubilee administration should join them in the super alliance.

“Our party leader, Musalia Mudavadi, is spearheading the formation of the National Super Alliance or Muungano Maalum. The meeting unequivocally supports our party leader for his noble effort to unify opposition forces against the Jubilee regime,” ANC secretary-general Godffrey Osotsi said in a statement.

The statement further says: “We have mandated the party leader to reach out to other leaders to enhance Nasa. And to hasten the party leader’s outreach activities of Nasa, the NEC resolved to set up an ANC technical team of experts to explore Muungano Maalum with other Kenyan patriots.”

ANC accused the Jubilee administration of running down the economy, abetting corruption, massive borrowing without repayment plans and promoting tribalism.

“Muungano Maalum is a space for all those against misrule by Jubilee, which is characterised by condoning of rampant corruption; a ruinous and extravagant economic model of borrowing to eat while protecting economic saboteurs; arrogant ethnic exclusionism; and ruining of our youth with the hustler mentality while stealing billions meant to empower the same youth,” says the statement.

SQUABBLES
It is understood Mr Mudavadi will first seek a coalition with Kanu and CCM before working out a deal with Cord. Contacted, the ANC leader said he was reaching out to the Kanu leadership and to the Bomet governor.

“For Kanu, we were in a coalition during the last elections and now that they have not been accommodated in Jubilee, we will engage. Isaac Ruto has shown he is his own person, so we will talk,” he said.

It is also understood a function to be held in Elgeyo-Marakwet at the end of this month to which Kanu and ANC leaders have been invited will show the direction of their talks.

It will be organised by former Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo, who is eyeing the Senate seat in the county.

ODM chairman John Mbadi, Wiper secretary-general Hassan Omar, Ford-K’s Eseli, Mr Ruto of CCM and Kanu secretary-general Nick Salat confirmed the talks.

Mr Omar, who is also the Mombasa senator, said Wiper Party supports the Nasa initiative, adding that it is the only way for the Opposition to defeat Jubilee.

However, he said the super alliance should have a structure to avoid internal squabbles.

“Wiper as a party and Cord as an alliance welcome the effort to broaden our base. To win the next elections, we will require a decisive victory against Jubilee, which can only be achieved under a united front,” he said on the phone.

SUPER ALLIANCE

Mr Mbadi spoke of progress in talks and said ODM is supportive of the effort that will assure the Opposition of victory.

“The progress is ongoing. We are talking and when we reach a substantive conclusion, we will make it public. At this time, some of the details of the talks cannot be made public,” he said.

Mr Ruto, who declined to join Jubilee Party, said it was time Kenyans came together regardless of ethnic groups in a coalition that can win and serve the public without discrimination.

He accused the Jubilee administration of betraying Kenyans by walking away from the ideals that led to its formation.

“We need to talk as Kenyans because we have been betrayed by partisan politics in the past. The talks are ongoing,” he said.

Mr Salat said Kanu, which declined to be dissolved alongside Jubilee affiliate parties, was seeking new alliances with like-minded outfits to form a strong coalition.

“We will soon hit the road,” he said.