Why new parties threaten survival of "big brothers"

By Kenfrey Kiberenge

New political parties have emerged to threaten and overshadow old establishments steeped in leadership wrangles.

The new outfits have covered sufficient ground and gained enough clout to pose a serious threat to the big boys where it matters and likely to hurt most: competition for campaign funds from big business.

The scramble for endorsement and support from the business community ha started in earnest

G7 leaders (from LEFT) Mr Eugene Wamalwa, Mr William Ruto, Mr Ali Mwakwere, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka and Mr Uhuru Kenyatta stand out for the cameras outside Fairmont the Norfolk Hotel after a recent meeting. [Photo: Wilberforce Okwiri/Standard]

and the cocktail and political breakfast circuit and night meetings are on with high level overtures and lobbying.

Among the new kids on the block to file their returns and received their compliance certificates from the Registrar of Political Parties include the United Democratic Forum Party (UDF), which has complied in 31 counties compared to ODM's 35 counties for instance.

The buzz around UDF is poised to hit many by surprise with its so - called professionals' caucus - whose membership features some blue chip company CEOs, PSs and youthful parastatal heads, who appeal to the middle class.

Herein lay the nightmare of the old political formations and their leadership who are blamed for ethic polarisation, corruption and impunity. Another surprise emergence was former minister Raphael Tuju's Party of Action that was not only among the first to comply and file returns, but also posted an impressive compliance in 22 counties.

The big boys of PNU fraternity, ODM and Kanu were the main sponsors and backers of new and tough compliance conditions, partly to kill and suppress emerging opponents for regional and national political supremacy.

New realities have dawned on the political scene where big parties who were previously viewed as likely beneficiaries of tough rules and high thresh hold requirements imposed by the new Constitution and the Political Parties Act have become the first victims.

Old political parties and formations have imploded under the twin pressures of infighting for control and supremacy, and how to overcome image cobwebs under the high integrity standards set by Chapter Six of the new Constitution.

Bogged down

While supremacy wrangles have bogged down, and continue to bleed and drain the energy of PNU and ODM and their surrogates in the Coalition Government, Wiper party and Kanu, the Fords have emerged to scour the terrain and proved skeptics wrong by finishing with impressive numbers they are filing with the Registrar of Political Parties.

PNU household has mutated into four factions - PNU party led by Prof George Saitoti, Alliance Party led by Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi, Wiper under VP Kalonzo Musyoka and the Kanu orbit under DPM Uhuru Kenyatta, while ODM is grappling with own headaches over supremacy battles pitting Prime Minister Raila Odinga against his deputy Musalia Mudavadi.

While UDF has hit the ground running with its slogan of breaking with the past, Tuju's POA is gaining support from President Kibaki's supporters who argue a back-to-back Kikuyu presidency after Kibaki may be perceived as anti-climax of his legacy.

While UDF features CIOC chairman Mohamed Abdikadir, President Kibaki's nephew and Industrialisation Assistant minister Nderitu Muriithi, long time President Kibaki's political aide and MPs George Nyamweya, Jeremiah Kioni, Abdul Bahari among other among others, the absence of chieftains associated with nominations fraud in 2002 and 2007 has made many aspiring parliamentary and county candidates feel safe and unthreatened.

It is not lost to observers that massive nomination irregularities in PNU and ODM cremated many promising political careers in 2007.

A curious factor that has been lost to many is that a cabal of old money businessmen who have supported Kibaki's politics for many years seem to have embraced Tuju's POA.The apparent split of Kibaki's supporters between UDF and POA among Northern Kikuyu businessmen, and split of old money types between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga in Southern Kikuyuland is a phenomenon that has left political strategists in a quandary.

The scenario is a throwback to 1992 and 2002 when the two corners of Kikuyuland was split between Kibaki and Kenneth Matiba (1992) and against between Kibaki and Uhuru (2002).These faultiness have been on display in the controversial Gema caucuses (Limuru II and Limuru II B) organised by supporters of national political protagonists.

Away from, and parallel to the street flexing of political muscle and battles for media visibility, is the real fight for acceptance, support and endorsement by the real backers of political activities and election campaign financiers.