By WAINAINA NDUNG’U
If political realignments in Mt Kenya region would make one man
bitter, it would be Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi.
In the earlier days when some key players had not identified
political vehicles for their presidential bid, Kiraitu was riding on a wave and
looked set to be an influential kingmaker in the next General Election.
During the hotly contested Kirinyaga Central
by-election in which the winner Gachoki Gitari was pitted against Narc-Kenya
candidate Daniel Karaba, Kiraitu warned the flower party leader and
presidential aspirant Martha Karua that the Uhuru Kenyatta wave would relegate
her into political oblivion.
The minister was also instrumental in organising the signing of a
protocol last year between Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy Prime
Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, and Internal Security Minister George Saitoti where
they pledged to support one of them for president.
During the launch of the Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) in Nairobi
two weeks ago, Kiraitu spoke fondly of the pact.
The Imenti South MP also played a key role in organising Uhuru’s
prayer meetings in the region prior to his appearance at the International
Criminal Court for confirmation of charges hearing last year.
An MP associated with APK says then it was apparent that Uhuru faced a rebellious Kanu faction and lacked a secure political party to launch his presidential bid.
An MP associated with APK says then it was apparent that Uhuru faced a rebellious Kanu faction and lacked a secure political party to launch his presidential bid.
Abandoned the party
The Party of National Unity (PNU), which Kiraitu was Secretary General and most Mt Kenya MPs belonged to, was marred with confusion as party leader Prof Saitoti had presidential ambition and was obviously not keen to give up.
The Party of National Unity (PNU), which Kiraitu was Secretary General and most Mt Kenya MPs belonged to, was marred with confusion as party leader Prof Saitoti had presidential ambition and was obviously not keen to give up.
A former MP associated with PNU say they were surprised when
Kiraitu abandoned the party to launch APK.
But a Mt Kenya MP allied to Uhuru’s camp says the Energy minister
was specifically tasked to form APK as an insurance against Saitoti’s hold on
PNU.
Interestingly MPs who stuck with Kiraitu and ended up in the APK
like Mathira MP Ephraim Maina were most enthusiastic when the party last year
called, but later postponed the recruitment drive.
APK was seen as the region’s preferred vehicle for the elections.
Indeed that was the origin of the ‘bus’ symbol.
The recruitment drive was called off several times after
differences emerged on whether the proposed alliance was to have individual,
political party membership, or a combination of both.
Kiraitu’s allies were taken aback when it became apparent two
months ago that Uhuru was going to launch a brand new political outfit –The
National Alliance (TNA) – completely disregarding the groundwork that had been
painstakingly laid by APK.
An MP who is allied to Kiraitu told The Standard On Sunday when it
became apparent TNA was to be launched, they had two options – to stick with
their own alliance or troop to the new outfit.
“Kiraitu literally saw his dream of playing
regional kingmaker dissipate. He did a lot of bitter lobbying to convince
his key allies not to join the new outfit,” says a politician who has stuck
with the Energy minister.
According to another key ally of Kiraitu, many of his supporters
felt frustrated by the TNA surprise entry because they could not go back to
Saitoti’s PNU, which they left in a huff. Key players in PNU have never
forgiven Kiraitu for leading a mass walkout that substantially weakened their
outfit.
Expecting to gain
One of the earliest pointers that the APK family was bitter with the entry of TNA was a press conference called in Nyeri on the Sunday after TNA was given an interim registration certificate on Thursday.
One of the earliest pointers that the APK family was bitter with the entry of TNA was a press conference called in Nyeri on the Sunday after TNA was given an interim registration certificate on Thursday.
Assistant Minister Mwangi Kiunjuri, Maina and
former minister Christopher Murungaru, who is the Democratic Party (DP)
Secretary General, were present.
Kiunjuri’s party – the Grand National Union (GNU) – as well as DP
were some of the parties that were expecting to gain a major political foothold
if Uhuru Kenyatta had decided to launch his presidential bid on either of the
parties ticket.
An insider who attended the conference confided that a big section
of the Mt Kenya region felt let down by Uhuru and claimed that TNA had its
roots in Kiambu, but one of the DPM’s ally said he had settled for the party
with a national outlook.
Kiraitu spoke of the frustrations early this week saying he was
not doubtful the original dream of G7 Alliance would be realised.
The minister’s bitterness first appeared to explode into the open
last weekend when he told APK Meru Delegates Conference that he was tired of
being taken in a merry go round.
“I am not a water tap, robot or electric light to be switched on
and off at will,” he said.
Kiraitu’s key ally added that the Ameru with 1.5 million votes
would only vote for a candidate who gives the running mate post to him
(Kiraitu).
Speaking at a ceremony attended by MPs Silas Muriuki (Imenti North) and Peter Munya (Tigania East), the minister urged G7 leaders to tour Meru and inform residents of their manifesto.
Speaking at a ceremony attended by MPs Silas Muriuki (Imenti North) and Peter Munya (Tigania East), the minister urged G7 leaders to tour Meru and inform residents of their manifesto.
The complication is that it would hardly be feasible for Kiraitu
to be a running mate to Uhuru and Saitoti and even Vice-President Kalonzo
Musyoka given Kenya’s delicate ethnic balancing.
Having experienced bitter falling outs with some of the Meru-Embu
MPs like Kareke Mbiuki (Nithi) and Cecily Mbarire (Runyenjees), and archrivals
like Gitobu Imanyara (Imenti Central) and Mithika Linturi (Igembe South) it
will be interesting to see whether the minister would effectively play regional
kingmaker.
Rivalry
He had told the meeting that APK was an outfit, which would bring together the Ameru to push for common interests, but Mbiuki dismissed the idea.
“Where will a Meru party take the entire community unless we team up with others to come up with one formidable force to battle it out with the ODM during the General Election?” posed Mbiuki.
He had told the meeting that APK was an outfit, which would bring together the Ameru to push for common interests, but Mbiuki dismissed the idea.
“Where will a Meru party take the entire community unless we team up with others to come up with one formidable force to battle it out with the ODM during the General Election?” posed Mbiuki.
He claims the two MPs sticking with Kiraitu are doing so because
of personal reasons.
The rivalry between APK and TNA MPs in Meru is likely to build up
into a storm. TNA MPs in the region, for example, worked overtime to dissuade
their leader from making an appearance at Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi, when Kiraitu
launched the “bus party”.
According to one MP from the region, if Uhuru
had attended the APK launch it would have put them in a precarious political
position because it would have been mistaken as an endorsement of Kiraitu.
Central Parliamentary Group Chairman Ephraim Maina, who is in APK, says they were content with the messages of goodwill sent by three key G7 leaders during the party launch.
Central Parliamentary Group Chairman Ephraim Maina, who is in APK, says they were content with the messages of goodwill sent by three key G7 leaders during the party launch.
“Launch of parties is not an end in itself,” said Maina adding
that Kenyans must never forget the country is in one of its most dynamic
political interlude, “I would personally not be surprised if politicians
changed parties between now and end of September to conform with the existing
laws, which bar last minute party hopping.”
One headache for political anchors in this region is creating a
united parliamentary group capable of strongly influencing legislative agenda
after the General Election.
But Maina said while the vision of a
Narc-like umbrella (in the first Kibaki presidency 2002-2007) was ultimate
dream of the G7; a one-party parliamentary group was not an automatic guarantee
the MPs would speak in one voice.
“People should never forget that MPs are free to exercise their
freedom. Even if they belong to one party, they can revolt and be a nightmare,”
said Maina.
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