The United Democratic Forum (UDF) party is now considering propping Mandera Central MP Abdikadir Mohammed as its leader and probable 2012 presidential elections flag bearer.
The Star has learnt that a group of MPs and a number of technocrats believe the youthful MP will easily endear himself to voters across the country.
Those behind the plans are expected to bank on Abdikadir's impressive leadership record especially when he chaired the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution that was in charge of fine tuning the draft constitution ahead of the August 4 2010 referendum. “Yes, he could be one of them. By end of January, we want the party to have a presidential candidate. But that does not mean that we are locking out other candidates who may wish to go for that position as long as they meet the constitutional requirements and the ideals of the party,” said UDF chairman Osman Hassan.
Lawyer Abdikadir now chairs the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (COIC) and he was the chairman of the parliamentary committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. He is a first timer in Parliament having trounced former Mandera Central MP Billow Kerrow in the December 27, 2007 general election. “But we want to break from the past where parties used to impose leaders. To get our presidential candidate, we want to have nominations from the grassroots level, county level up to the national level,” added the party chairman.
Yesterday Abdikadir led a group of nine MPs in declaring that the party will from January aggressively push for a new face of Kenya including the rejection of the three nominees of Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission over integrity issues.
He said the aim of the group is to present itself as a clear departure from the past. “We have an opportunity to bring in drivers of new policies. And towards the end of the year, we have a chance to overhaul the executive and legislature as well,” said Abdikadir after a meeting held in Jacaranda Hotel in Nairobi's Westlands area.
He however said he did not want to be drawn into a discussion over whether he is poised to take the leadership of the party opting to wait and see the turn of events.
Also present were MPs Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa), George Nyamweya (nominated), Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia West), Njoroge Baiya (Githunguri), Kabando wa Kabando (Mukurweini), Abdul Bahari Ali (Isiolo South), Mohamed Sirat Wajir (South MP), and Aden Sugow (Fafi). Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta had previously been widely believed to be the one poised to become UDF flag bearer.
Uhuru has however resolved to retreat back to Kanu which he chairs and is expected to square it out with Internal Security Minister George Saitoti and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka in joint PNU nominations.
Saitoti is the chairman of PNU while Kalonzo heads ODM-Kenya which has since been been re branded to Wiper Democratic Party (WDP). Despite Uhuru's retreat to Kanu, a good number of MPs considered close to Uhuru have opted to remain in UDF.
Insiders in the party told the Star discussions were ongoing on how to support Abdikadir as the leader and the face of the group with those supporting him banking on his track record which is said to be untainted.
The MPs however are planning to ensure nomination procedures are followed right from the county level but quietly campaigning for Abdikadir. “Our aim is not to spring up one person as a leader but it is to champion a new Kenya that breaks from the past. If that revolution brings a leader, then let it be but it must be for the sake of the nation,” said Kabando who is also assistant minister for Youth.
“Only the voters have the mandate to choose the leader. The point is that we will have someone for the presidency, MPs, the senators, governors and all other elective posts,” said Nyamweya. He added the priority is to usher in a new breed of leaders with a clean break with the past.
But as the party haggles over if to lock out individuals considered to have a tainted past, the issue of how operations of the party will be funded has cropped up. “We know many influential individuals with a dark past are good at funding political parties. We would want to look at mechanisms in which we can fund the process and ensure good leaders who have no money get elected. All this would be done within the framework of the law. This is important because the main reason we are doing this is to protect and promote the new order," said an official of the party.
Nyamweya said the plan was to break from what he described as “the big man syndrome” as one way of keeping off politicians with tainted past. He said in the past, politicians have tried to endear themselves to individuals with money for funding. “About 96 per cent of our economy is financed by ourselves, why do we have to look for other forces to finance the parties,” said Nyamweya.
The group said once Parliament resumes in January, it will push for the rejection of Mumo Matemu, Jane Onsongo and Irene Keino as commissioners in the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. House Speaker Kenneth Marende has directed the executive to introduce afresh a motion seeking the approval of the names.
That was after a report by Justice and Legal Affairs Committee recommending rejection of the names was defeated on the floor of the House on Tuesday night.
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He however said he did not want to be attracted into a conversation over whether he is set to take the authority of the celebration looking to delay and see the convert of activities.
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