Kanu and the National Vision Party (NVP) which is led by former Minister Nicholas Biwott are positioning themselves to benefit from the expected fall outs within the UDM and ODM in the Rift Valley region ahead of the 2012 general election. Wrangles within UDM which is led by Eldoret North MP William Ruto and also ODM have already caused some of the 2012 aspirants to begin warming up to Kanu and NVP.
There is fear that UDM and ODM may not have fair nominations ahead of the election. “Going by the recent civic elections in this region one can sense that Kanu will have a very strong showing at the next polls. We have won several civic seats in this region which is thought to be predominantly UDM or ODM,” Paul Kibet, Kanu's Youth Coordinator, said.
The former ruling party has already attracted one of the 2012 presidential candidates from the region William Kirwa who has expressed interest to vie on the party's ticket.
Kirwa who is currently the Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) was in Pokot two weeks ago where he successfully campaigned for the Kanu candidate vying for the Siyoi civic seat in the recent by-elections. “The Kanu network has remained entirely intact and the party has also grown in terms of democracy. My expectation is that we will do very well in the 2012 polls,” Kirwa said.
Frequent campaigns or public meetings by Kanu leaders including retired President Moi, his son Gideon Moi and Secretary General Nick Salat have kept Kanu alive in the area.
The party is also believed to be readying itself for well-funded campaigns because of its association with Moi. However, Salat argues that were it not for the lack of commitment by party chairman Uhuru Kenyatta, Kanu would be doing very well in most areas. “He has kept Kanu activities stagnant because of his commitment to other parties but we plan to go to the polls early next year and position ourselves for the general election”, Salat said.
To re-invent itself Kanu is also planning to field only youthful candidates at all levels in the next polls. Kibet says most of the tainted leaders who let down the party had fled living Kanu a clean party. Biwott on his part has for the last two years struggled to build NVP into a strong outfit ahead of the polls. He has opened up several offices in counties in the region to coordinate NVP activities ahead of the polls.
Just a month ago Ruto during a function at Iten invited Biwott to join the UDM bandwagon perhaps in recognition of the former Keiyo South MP’s growing political influence in the Rift Valley region. “We are building a strong party and our membership is growing steadily,” Biwott said. The party has also won some of the civic seats during the by-elections.
UDM is already experiencing challenges with some close allies of Ruto seeking to control party affairs. “UDM will be the party to watch. Others will just be escorting us. Yes there will be nomination challenges but at the end of the day it will be UDM to carry the people of the region and other areas to the next political dispensation,” Cheranganyi MP Joshua Kutunyi says.
Kutunyi says they will welcome people allied to other smaller parties to join UDM before it is too late. ODM officials who have taken over the party in the region after the recent grassroot polls are also putting up a brave face dismissing reports that the party has lost ground. “You can judge using the turnout we had in Rift Valley during the grassroot elections. The smaller tributaries will have to join us because ODM remains the most popular party countrywide,” ODM director of elections Dr Joseph Misoi says. Political observers in the Rift Valley region, however, insist that Kanu and NVP will play a crucial role in the Rift Valley politics come 2012 polls.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment