Raila, Uhuru gameplan ruffles feathers in by-elections

By Mwaniki Munuhe

Political jostling ahead of three by-elections set for this month has upset the strategic plans of at least two prominent presidential aspirants.

Worst hit is Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who is now going up against the powerful machinery around the outgoing Head of State.

Differences between President Kibaki’s inner circle and Uhuru’s party The National Alliance (TNA), have led to disagreement on how to proceed with the upcoming races in Kangema and Kajiado North.

Senior offi cers working from the Office of the President and their allies in the business community have resolved to rival TNA candidates in both constituencies, by propelling the Party of National Unity. One of the same officers has been linked to efforts to rally support behind United Democratic Front’s Musalia Mudavadi as an alternative candidate at Uhuru’s expense.

Meanwhile, in Ndhiwa, Prime Minister Raila Odinga is fighting back a planned revolt by disappointed aspirants after a contentious nomination exercise in the constituency.

Political strength

A group of them has threatened to back Kanu candidate Tom Alila in protest, signaling the potential for nomination disputes to upset calculations about political strength. To avoid this, Raila has initiated talks with at least 14 of the candidates who took part in nominations for the seat left vacant after the death of Assistant minister Orwa Ojode.

The failure of these talks could jeopardise ODM’s chances of retaining the seat through its candidate Agostino Neto. Sources close to State House told The Standard On Sunday that President Kibaki has recommended that PNU be supported to retain the Kajiado North and Kangema seats. This has antagonised the Deputy PM, whose party has strong candidates in the races.

Former Cabinet ministers Prof George Saitoti (Kajiado North) and John Michuki (Kangema) were both PNU Members of Parliament and close confidants of Kibaki. PNU Organising Secretary Maina Kamanda has argued supporting candidates from the party to replace them was a “political courtesy” Kibaki owed the vehicle he used in 2007.

The Standard On Sunday has learnt that several wealthy power barons known to be close to the President have been holding meetings with a view of coming up with a strategy to help PNU win the two seats.

They are working on a proposed budget to fund the campaigns by Kimani Mugo (Kangema) and Anthony Keen (Kajiado North). Before she died, Michuki’s influential widow, Josephine, threw her backing behind TNA’s Tiras Ngahu in Kangema.

He and TNA’s Moses ole Sakuda are considered the frontrunners in the two races. Those who have been taking part in meetings to back their rivals include two senior bankers, a senior officer at the Office of the President, and an MP from Murang’a County.

Through his spokesperson Munyori Buku, Uhuru said his party is aware of a scheme to maliciously discredit TNA.

“There are people who seem to believe they control or decide who becomes a Member of Parliament and who does not,” he said. “They fear competitive politics because they feel it will edge them out of political market. TNA has been very transparent with its affairs, including the nomination process. It is this transparency that has scared these political brokers.”

This happened amid reports that PNU has also resolved not to support Uhuru in his presidential bid, despite a preliminary indication it would do so.

Genesis of problems

“The problem started when Uhuru refused to join the UDF and PNU alliance,” said a source within PNU who did not want to be quoted. “Now, PNU has resolved to deny Uhuru endorsement. That is how the story of (PNU chairman) Gideon Konchellah vying to be president came up.”

Speaking to The Standard On Sunday on phone, Konchellah confirmed that President Kibaki is supporting PNU in the by-elections.

“Of course the President is being, and has been, very supportive both morally and financially especially in these by-elections,” he said. “He is the party leader and this is his party. All we are telling people is that in respect of our former chairman, Prof George Saitoti, and our party leader (Kibaki), let us support the PNU candidate.” It is against this background that initial plans to have one G7 candidate in the two by-elections collapsed. Some TNA members say their G7 allies are not trustworthy.

“We are not together with them because we say and do one thing during the day; they go to do different things at night,” said Joseph Maathai, TNA coordinator for the Kajiado North by-elections.

“These small parties fear TNA will sweep them out of existence, especially in central Kenya. That’s why they are trying to discredit an otherwise very transparent political party.”

Immediately after the nominations in Kajiado North, one of the candidates went to court to block TNA’s ole Sakuda. The temporary order he obtained was, however, lifted and Sakuda consequently cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to contest.

TNA, according to a source within the party, saw this as a scheme by some of its G7 allies to keep the party out of the mini polls.

“We did a process that was free and fair. These are people and parties that are not happy with what TNA is doing. To put it plainly, they feel they did not get the candidates they wanted. PNU and other small parties did not even conduct nominations. Whether it is power barons who think they can control this or not, the people will ultimately decide,” said TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja.

We have also learnt that Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi’s led Alliance Party of Kenya is also unhappy with TNA over what, the party feels, is an attempt to antagonise the existence of other parties especially in Central Kenya.

Give-and-Take

According to party secretary general Beatrice Elachi, APK had agreed to support the TNA candidate in Kangema, but had agreed to back PNU in Kajiado North in honour of Saitoti.

“In respect of Saitoti, we agreed that TNA would support the PNU candidate in Kajiado North (Keen),” Elachi said. “But you see, TNA is not willing to negotiate. Politics is a game of give and take. If you tell your colleague take this or go, they will go and you will have to go looking for them.

“TNA should learn from Kibaki. The President is never adamant. He knows the benefit of give and take in politics. But because TNA is not willing to dialogue, twende hivyo hivyo (we proceed in the same manner).”