Kibaki allies work out new survival strategy

By Francis Ngige

A week after President Kibaki’s allies in the Party of National Unity formed a new political union, the party’s top hierarchy is fighting to sustain the momentum in readiness for next year’s elections.

In what is said to be PNU’s survival strategy in the face of the splits in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), after the falling out of Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Kalenjin MPs led by Eldoret North MP William Ruto, they set up a council of "six elders’ to hold the groups that joined the party in 2007 through to next year’s General Election.

Emerging from a 2011 Strategic Planning Retreat in Nanyuki, the elders, who include four ministers said they discussed ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) action against the "Ocampo Six", as well as a local judicial mechanism for trying post-election violence cases.

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta (left) and Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi with Kirinyaga Central PNU parliamentary candidate Joseph Gitari after he presented his nomination papers at the IIEC offices in Kerugoya, last week. [PHOTO: George MULALA/STANDARD]

Also discussed was the plight of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the place of the new political alliance in next year’s election.

The "elders" mandated to revamp the party are drawn from the three key blocs in PNU as it is today.

They are Mr Kiraitu Murungi who has been PNU chairman; Mr Ali Chirau Mwakwere from Kibaki’s side; Prof Sam Ongeri and Mr Yusuf Haji from Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru’s Kanu; and Mr Johnstone Muthama and Mr David Musila from Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s ODM-Kenya.

Capping the new political momentum is the alliance’s strategy to come up with regional and grassroots structures which match and respond to Raila’s ODM at every level.

Fiercest political rival

They are also seeking to consolidate PNU’s traditional support base, even as it seeks new allies, a strategy apparently crafted to shield the party from internal hemorrhage, while also ensuring it is able to benefit from the falling-out within its fiercest and larger political rival.

The first litmus test for the new alliance is hinged on the Kirinyaga Central by-election, where it is facing a fierce battle from Martha Karua’s Narc-Kenya.

The rivalry between the mainstream PNU and Narc-Kenya, which seems to have influenced the decision by the party to pick the ‘elders’ to help consolidate its base, should be looked at against the humiliation Karua handed PNU in last year’s three by-elections.

Her party took the Juja and Makadara seats, which were being defended by PNU, and the third was reclaimed by ODM. If she wins Kirinyaga Central through Mr Daniel Karaba, whom the court ruled had won the 2007 election even as it nullified the results, she will have proven she is no pushover in Central, and that the Juja and Makadara wins were not a stroke of luck.

Now, Kibaki allies claim they have done their homework, and that a politician of their choice will ascend to power come 2012.

But Kenyans will be watching Kirinyaga Central as a test for the new PNU Alliance.

Losing Identities

The alliance has to ensure that its candidate, Joseph Gitari wins the seat. Gitari and Karaba appear to be the strongest candidate in a field of seven.

The party is laying strategies to cement its affiliate parties by allowing them to join the PNU alliance without losing their identities.

All the "six elders" except Mwakwere, who was out of the country, attended yesterday’s meeting at a Nanyuki hotel.

But sources said the inaugural strategic planning retreat for the party failed to agree on the membership of the new entity, with those present and strategists confused on whether to embrace corporate or individual membership.

According to a source at the two-day retreat, the participants could not agree on whether the affiliate parties would dissolve or would join the party as corporate members.

"The issue was put off to another date to allow for consultation, since some felt the new party may suffer the same fate with the hurriedly formed PNU," said the source who declined to be named.

But Kiraitu denied the issue had divided members of the retreat, our source told us that some party’s representatives felt that if some of them were dissolved it would be difficult to sell the new alliance in some areas.

The meeting also agreed to disassociate itself with the much talked about KKK alliance tag, and instead focus on selling it as a national party.

Briefing the media, Kiraitu said the new party would go full throttle in securing support across the country.

Formidable Vehicle

"We learnt the hard way in 2007 when we joined PNU at the last minute. We now know how to plan in advance by forming a formidable vehicle that would win the 2012 elections"

He said the new alliance brings Kalonzo, representing ODM-Kenya, Uhuru (Kanu), Internal Security Minister George Saitoti (PNU) and Kinangop MP David Ngugi (smaller parties).

Kiraitu said apart from seeking members from different parts of the country, the party would also seek alliances with "like-minded" politicians and parties.

Of immediate concern would be to dispel the notion that PNU Alliance has connection with the KKK alliance.

Win Elections

According to Kiraitu, the new party had also invited Karua, Paul Muite of Safina and the Democratic Party which declined the advances.

"The door is still open for them because we want to ensure that the vehicle is big enough to win the 2012 polls," said Kiraitu.

And in a dispatch sent to newsrooms, PNU Alliance secretariat said it had mandated the six elders and the national alliance committee to unite the political community that has emerged around the PNU, its affiliates and like-minded partners.

"The PNU Alliance will endeavor to unite all communities within its diverse divides and (to be an) all inclusive political movement reflecting the face of Kenya," said the statement signed by the chairman Titus Ibui.

Other officials of the party were identified as vice chairman Gabriel Mutunga, Beatrice Ilachi (Secretary General), Martin Kuria (treasurer), Peter ole Sapalan (organizing secretary) and Peter Kagwanja, political advisor.

The statement said the party would undertake massive recruitment of no less than 10 million Kenyans across the country to form "a solid cross-national political base of all generational divide".

Asked about the alleged disagreement about membership, Muthama denied about fallout among the affiliate parties saying the issue had conclusively been dealt with before the party was formed.

"That is the least of our worries as the parties will gradually die a natural death once PNU Alliance is up and running" said Muthama, a close ally of Kalonzo.