Parties desert PNU ahead of 2012 battle

The PNU Coalition appeared headed for total collapse yesterday after several member parties announced they would go it alone in future elections.

The future of politicians in the coalition was also in doubt following the disclosure that the Progressive Democratic Movement (PDM), formed to take over from PNU, had become a non-starter.

Still smarting from a disastrous performance in last Monday’s Starehe, Juja and Makadara by-elections where it lost two seats it previously held, leaders drawn from at least five coalition affiliate parties demanded its disbandment saying it had failed to achieve its mission.

Kanu, Ford People, Ford Kenya and New Ford Kenya officials all declared that their parties would go it alone in future elections, joining their counterparts in Narc Kenya, which fielded candidates in previous polls.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s ODM Kenya has also gone against the coalition spirit by fielding its own candidate in the Wajir South by-election set for October 13.

The party officials spoke as the coalition’s secretary-general, Mr Kiraitu Murungi, called for its strengthening ahead of 2012.
Mr Murungi, the Energy minister, conceded that PDM, formed 20 months ago by PNU affiliates to be used to field a single presidential candidate in 2012 elections, was dead.

“PDM was started with an aim of uniting political leadership within PNU so that everybody could be comfortable in abandoning their parties to vie under one umbrella. But after it was launched, it has become obvious some leaders within PNU are not interested in going on with it,” Mr Murungi said.

All passengers on board

“As a political vehicle, we have abandoned it because the original idea of having all passengers on board did not work.” However, he claimed that the PNU coalition was being reorganised in readiness for 2012.

But this was dismissed by leaders from some affiliate parties who maintained that the coalition was dead. Ford People secretary-general Henry Obwocha said his party would go it alone in 2012 because the coalition had betrayed it during the South Mugirango by-election.

“In 2012, we will go it alone. In South Mugirango, they went against the agreement within the coalition by supporting a candidate from PDP instead of supporting our candidate,” he said.

He was referring to the decision by PNU to support former MP Omingo Magara instead of backing the Ford People candidate, Mr Manson Nyamweya, who won the seat.

Kanu organising secretary Justin Muturi said the PNU coalition had been overtaken by events as the new Constitution technically outlaws re-election coalitions.

“We can only form coalitions after elections if we go by the new Constitution ... PNU coalition is a thing of the past, that is why we have positions such as leader of the majority party or coalition of parties in the new Constitution,” Mr Muturi argued.

He was supported by Kanu MPs Kareke Mbiuki and Amina Abdalla, with Mr Mbiuki urging the party’s leader, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, to pull out of the coalition and strengthen the Independence party.

“There is no future in the PNU coalition; it is as good as dead. We are telling Uhuru Kenyatta to wake up and offer leadership in Kanu or show us the way to go. We need to strengthen our individual parties.”

Housing minister Soita Shitanda, who heads New Ford Kenya, called for dialogue, saying, it still had a future. “You don’t run away from your own structure when it is falling, you try and fix it,” he said.

But he was contradicted by Dr Boni Khalwale from the same party, who argued that New Ford Kenya would go it alone in 2012.

“In 2007, we fielded candidates and only joined the coalition after the elections. That is what we will do in 2012, not under PNU,” he insisted.

Kimilili’s Eseli Simiyu, the only MP elected on a Ford Kenya ticket in the 10th Parliament, said he no longer recognised the PNU coalition.

“As matters stand now, I’m operating as a Ford Kenya MP and not a PNU coalition MP. Ford Kenya is there to stay,” he said.

Safina MP Kabando wa Kabando called on MPs to rise above party affiliation and unite to push through the various Bills to implement the new Constitution.

ODM-K also declared that it would campaign for its candidate in the Wajir South by-election, Mr Muhamed Sirat, despite the fact that other coalition affiliates had also fielded candidates.

“We have fielded our own candidate in Wajir South whom we shall support and compete against the other candidates, who are from PNU affiliate parties like Kanu,” said nominated MP Mohammed Affey.