A stormy debate is raging on whether political party coalitions should be formed before or after elections in a volatile political atmosphere. The time when these tribal alliances should be formed is immaterial. What is important is the purpose for which they are formed. A casual review of historical experiences is replete with examples of caucuses formed with selfish motives without tangible benefits to the nation. More recent such groupings include the National Rainbow Coalition , the short-lived merger between the then ruling party, Kanu and the little known National Development Party in 2002 GEMA and Kamatusa, amongst others.
NARC, a conglomeration of Kanu rebels and opposition parties could not last after 2002 general elections in which it emerged victorious. The coalition partners failed to agree on the need to deliver a new constitution as per one of the electoral pledges. NDP-KANU merger could not hold together over the choice of a presidential candidate, prompting an exodus of some veterans and new members exodus to NARC and other parties, GEMA was overwhelmed by the historical forces that catapulted Moi to power and Kamatusa never took off for reasons yet to be explained.
From the foregoing, it is therefore safe to conclude that the Kikuyu, Kamba Kalenjin which has undergone a metamorphosis into a group of seven and is cloning into United Democratic Front (UDF) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) is just another exercise in futility. The sole purpose of G7 is not only to frustrate the presidential bid of one aspirant but also to block the same Prime Minister, Raila Amolo Odinga from succeeding President Kibaki whose second and last term ends sometime in 2012. This is reminiscent of another amorphous group that campaigned for amendments to the constitution to stop a Daniel Moi from succeeding the late President Jomo Kenyatta. Like others before it,G7 will only serve short term interests.
The latter day Grand Coalition government, despite its many difficulties and shortcomings, has only survived due to pressure from the international community, informed populace and vibrant civil society groups. The ongoing cacophony in the coalition aptly explains the fragility of amorphous alliances previously formed without clear cut national aims and objectives. Groups that come into being when elections approach but crumble soon after. They are ethnic outfits founded on no known or firm ideological principles.
One such alliance that disintegrated soon after trouncing the oldest political party Kanu was NARC. Its flag bearer, Kibaki presided over a crisis ridden government because coalition partners were pulling in different directions. In the 2005 referendum, a coalition partner spearheaded opposition to the enactment of a doctored draft constitution. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ministers lost their cabinet status when the cabinet was dissolved, reconstituted and renamed Government of National Unity (GNU).
When it became apparent that Kibaki was not likely to defend his seat on a NARC ticket, the president abandoned ship and helped launch the PNU that brought together patches from Ford Kenya, Kanu, DP and NARC Kenya amongst others. Without saying much about fragility of non ideological outfits, PNU is in no doubt going to be a casualty of betrayal that characterises the country’s politics. Meanwhile, PNU founders are either in newly crafted outfits or going solo.
At the core of these alliances is nothing else but succession. One cabinet minister said as much in 2003 when he remarked that ‘we do not need a constitution now that Moi and Kanu are not in power and one of our own is at the helm”. But, succession debate without healing the wounds of post election violence is sacrilegious. Tribal based groupings should be condemned in the strongest terms possible for they promote xenophobia and reduce other Kenyans to mere voters and not participants.
The writer is a former cabinet minister.
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