Will a handshake party emerge? Time will tell

Why have democratic parties failed to flourish in Kenya? Why does each electoral season witness the emergence of new political parties? Is our politics merely organised around ethnic coalitions? What is the future of the political party in Kenya?

A party is an association of citizens who share similar political orientation and policies, a common ideology or worldview on the basis of which they compete for power.

Kenya’s colonial government forbade the early growth of African political parties.

Local political activity started through tribal groupings such as Harry Thuku’s Young Kikuyu Association of the 1920s and the Young Kavirondo Association.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Before the Emergency in the 1950s, other political parties such as the Taita Hills Association, Kamba Members Association, Nairobi District African Congress, Nairobi People’s Congress Party, Central Nyanza District Association, Mombasa Democratic Union and many others were founded.

Early political organisation was, therefore, ethnically based in keeping with the divide-and-rule dictate of indirect rule.

This served the colonial masters well.

The nascent African political organisations were banned during the Emergency era only to be allowed in the early 1960s.

Unfortunately, the new parties were once more formed on regional lines.

KANU

The Kenya African National Union (Kanu) was viewed as the party of the majority Kikuyu, Luo and Kamba ethnic groups.

Many district-based outfits such as the Kenya African People’s Party, the Kalenjin Political Alliance, the Maasai United Front, the Coast People’s Party and the Somali National Association amalgamated to form the Kenya African Democratic Union (Kadu) — perceived to be for minority ethnic groups.

Although at independence Kenya had two major political parties — Kanu and Kadu — these were not ideologically different. That is why in 1964 they merged with ease.

KPU

With the formation of Kenya People’s Union (KPU) by Jaramogi Odinga Oginga in 1966, Kenya had now a conservative party, Kanu, which supported the colonial-era status quo, and a liberal or even radical KPU that championed more opportunity for the African masses.

In 1969, Mzee Kenyatta proscribed KPU.

Between 1969 and 1990 Kenya was a one-party state. The repeal of section 2A of the constitution reintroduced multi-partyism.

Still after the return of political pluralism, parties were formed not on the foundation of a distinct vision, ideology and policies, but on the shoulders of luminaries who were “kingpins” of their ethnic communities.

Even the one party Kanu led by the towering Jomo Kenyatta and later Daniel arap Moi did not become a national party.

FORD

In the early 1990s, the original Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford) could have supplied the ideological antidote to Kanu — a divide that could have been the equivalent of the Conservative/ Labour party in the UK or the Republicans/Democrats in USA.

However, Ford splintered into Ford- Kenya of Jaramogi and Ford-Asili of Kenneth Matiba while Mwai Kibaki launched the Democratic Party (DP). There was also the Social Democratic Party (SDP) under Apollo Njonjo and later also Anyang’ Nyong’o and Charity Ngilu.

Prior to the 1997 elections, various political parties were ethnically inspired. Kanu under Moi remained a Kalenjin dominated outfit.

Kijana Wamalwa’s Ford-K was Luhya driven. Raila Odinga’s NDP was largely a Luo affair. Kibaki’s DP, Matiba’s Ford Asili and Ngilu’s SDP tried to be ideologically driven but were still dominated by the Kikuyu and Kamba. Ethnic leaders still acted as the magnet.

Voting in 1992 was largely on ethnic basis. The ethnic barons projected themselves as their community negotiators for State jobs, development opportunities and community security.

However, after the elections, the elite would regroup into mergers and partnerships.

NARC BORN

After the 2002 Kanu implosion, a formidable and potentially progressive political party — the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc)— was born. However, the Narc honeymoon was short-lived. As Kanu was disintegrating, so was Narc. One wing of Narc cried foul that the pre-election deal was breached.

By 2007, President Kibaki had to create the Party of National Unity (PNU) as Raila mobilised his supporters through ODM and Kalonzo through ODM-K. Support was largely ethnic-based.

Historically most of the key political leaders worked together at one time or another.

They brought ethnic numbers to the negotiating table. By and large they espoused a conservative/liberal tradition.

Those who had championed social democracy or progressive politics were usually outnumbered and outmanoeuvred.

Before the 2013 and 2017 elections, TNA and URP came together as the Jubilee coalition.

Later they formed a single political party. The Kikuyu and Kalenjin were the bedrock of the new party.

NATIONAL COMPLEXION

It attracted other communities giving it a national complexion. In 2013 ODM, Wiper and Ford -K formed Cord with Luo, Kamba and Luhya as the fulcrum. However, the loose Cord did not become a political party.

In 2017 ODM, Wiper, ANC and Ford-K became the pillar of Nasa which again did not become a political party. The opportunity of a two-party formation of Jubilee and Nasa was missed.

In the post-handshake Kenya, there is no robust opposition capable of safeguarding democracy.

Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC is struggling to play such a role. Time will tell whether a handshake party will emerge and who the opposite side is likely to be.

KINGPINS

Regional “kingpins” are not elected. However, they are perceived to be the political leaders of their ethnic groups.

Because no single ethnic group can command majority vote in an election, it becomes important for such “kingpins” to conveniently and perpetually seek merry-go-round ethnic coalitions.

It is clear that the original Kanu, Ford, Narc, Cord, Jubilee and Nasa have not provided a two-party structure to Kenya’s political system courtesy of ethnic jingoism.

National and stable political parties based on ideology, vision and policy are yet to mature.

The legion of registered small parties could become a third force if they united by developing a Wanjiku pro-people and devolution ideology.

Non-tribalised youth could also catalyse the onset of policy-based politics and parties just as progressive social movements.

Prof Kibwana is the Makueni County Governor; [email protected]