Ford Kenya rolls out membership drive as Wetang’ula eyes 2022 poll

Ford-Kenya Party leader Moses Wetang’ula has started a countrywide tour aimed at strengthening his party ahead of the 2022 General Election.

Mr Wetang’ula kicked off his mission in Nyamira County on Friday and Saturday where he met party delegates for civic education.

He also held closed door meetings at which he outline his agenda to the residents.

Unlike in previous elections when politicians in the country rushed to popularise their parties and candidature when elections are around the corner, Ford Kenya has embarked on  strengthening itself long before the polls.

DECENTRALISED MANNER

“We will establish party offices in all the 47 counties. This will help devolve our activities and easily run our affairs in a decentralised manner,” Mr Wetang’ula said.

Key among the priorities is a massive member-recruitment drive, a move  party delegates believe will strengthen it.

In his country-wide tour, Mr Wetang’ula, who is also Bungoma Senator, will be meeting various stakeholders and supporters to get their views.

In Nyamira, he met all aspirants in last year’s elections, party officials and supporters who gave their opinion on Ford Kenya’s perceived weaknesses and strengths.

The party is also seeking to maintain all individuals who vied on its ticket in the 2017 elections.

“We are happy that most of our aspirants during the last elections have remained faithful, even those who lost.

BEING LOYAL

“We assure them of our support  so that they continue being loyal,” said West Mugirango MP Vincent Kemosi .

Mr Kemosi, who is among 10 MPs elected on a Ford Kenya ticket, said the party will identify aspirants to field in the 2022 elections.

He said the party will undertake a survey in Nyamira, Taita Taveta and Nairobi counties to evaluate its growth and development.

“We will have candidates for governor, senate and woman rep seats in all the 47 counties.

We will also have MP candidates in each of the 290 constituencies and MCAs in at least three quarters of the wards in the country,” said the first time MP.

However, these efforts could be hampered in Kisii where Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka, a Ford Kenya legislator, has publicly declared his support for Deputy President William Ruto in his 2022 bid. At a function attended by the DP in his constituency last month, Mr Onyonka said he was fully behind Mr Ruto.

MERGER

Ford Kenya also intends to carry out grassroots elections aimed at having strong party officials who will drive the party agenda.

“We will hold elections right from the grassroots to the national level,” said Mr Kemosi.

All these strategies will take place as the party mulls a merger with the Musalia Mudavadi-led Amani National Congress (ANC).

The two parties found solace in each other after falling out with ODM Party leader Mr Raila Odinga over the January 30 parallel swearing-in as the people’s president and, subsequently, his March 9 handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

ANC secretary-general Barack Muluka said in Mombasa on Saturday that the party was focusing on new affiliations ahead of 2022.