PNU principals decide on rules

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By Gakuu Mathenge

PNU leaders Vice-President, Kalonzo Musyoka, Internal Security Minister, George Saitoti, and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta will on Tuesday approve joint nomination rules that would lead to two of them being knocked out of the presidential race.

The trio is also expected to address a joint press conference at the Alliance headquarters in Lavington, Nairobi, to launch a recruitment drive.

The recruitment is expected to culminate in grassroots and national party elections early next year. The participation of the three will be the ultimate seal of their commitment to walk into 2012 as a team.

Last month, the trio signed a joint protocol witnessed by President Kibaki at Diani Beach Hotel at the Coast, and committed themselves to joint nominations to pick the Alliances flag bearer for the 2012 General Election.

"Tuesday is the D-Day, we want to see who is in the Alliance and who has one leg in another place. The protocol has no room for corporate membership. This means all the three will join and support the recruitment as individuals," Energy Minister and the alliance’s protocol implementation co-ordinator, Kiraitu Murungi, said.

When asked how realistic it is to expect the three, who have been scouring the country selling their parties and themselves, to sign the protocol, Kiraitu said:

"This is not a Kiraitu process; it is theirs. I am only a co-ordinator and convener. The principals signed the joint protocol, and appointed a six-man council of elders to spearhead implementation of the protocol. The six are Cabinet ministers Yusuf Haji, Sam Ongeri (Uhuru allies), Chirau Mwakwere, Assistant Minister David Musila, Kagundo MP, Johnstone Muthama, and Kiraitu.

"The council of elders is as high as anyone can go in President Kibaki side of the Coalition Government. There is no room for tricks anymore. We mean business," Kiraitu said.

Commenting on affiliate parties and leaders joining the PNU Alliance as individuals, Mr Muthama, also Chief Whip, said: "This is a party of serving and aspiring leaders. The future of the alliance is in the hands of grassroots members. Our only competitor is ODM, not Kanu or ODM-Kenya."

A meeting of PNU coalition 62 MPs chaired by Kiraitu and Muthama at the Panafric Hotel late Wednesday night resolved that the three principals attend the Tuesday.

"Their presence is critical. It shows ownership. Any other signal would not be helpful," Kiraitu added. The Alliance is attempting a strategy that the Orange Democratic Movement tried in 2007 – to convince PM, Raila Odinga, Kalonzo, and Uhuru to stick together. The efforts failed, and denied ODM a victory.

Efforts to convince the trio to stick together come in the context of suspicions among the principals.

While Kalonzo and Uhuru have been revamping their parties – ODM-Kenya and Kanu – only last week Prof Saitoti publicly expressed misgivings about the venture.

"This time I will not allow myself to be humiliated a second time like happened in 2002," he said in Tharaka.

Observers said this was meant for Kalonzo and Uhuru, but reasons for it were not forthcoming, nor what his ‘plan B’ would be, should there be mischief.

On March 18, 2002, forces friendly to Kalonzo and Uhuru pushed out Saitoti and other old guard from the Moi succession line-up in a Machiavellian style. Without warning, his Kanu national vice- chairman position had been split, leaving him with no national political office. His hopes of succeeding then President Moi crumbled, as he watched.

Although Saitoti has never ran a presidential campaign, having served Moi for 12 years as V-P, he would want to follow in the footsteps of Moi and Kibaki, former V-Ps who finished as presidents.

Kalonzo, too, is Kibaki’s V-P and former presidential candidate, and no one can fault him for seeking the frontline. Uhuru’s deep pockets, the Kenyatta brand name, and a former presidential candidate who attracted 2,000,000 votes in 2002, will not be easy overlook.

The towering egos and sense of entitlement, an explosive mix for any organisation, is not lost on the party. Kiraitu insists the trio also has responsibility to make the alliance work.

"We will not take it lying down and watch as some people kill the alliance the way they aborted the People’s Democratic Movement and People’s Democratic Party last year. They took us to Naivasha and founded PDM only for some people to kill it. This time we will not take it lying down. We are also politicians with interests to advance. We are not water taps to be turned on and off," Kiraitu said.