Raila, Uhuru shift gears

By Moses Njagih

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement, and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance have engaged another gear in the race for State House and their diaries are getting tighter.

The two parties, though in competition with others for the March 4 elections, appear to take the contest between them as the most serious hurdle in the race to State House.  

Buoyed by the latest opinion poll by Ipsos Synovate indicating Raila and Uhuru are the front-runners, the two party leaders are now engaged in a cutthroat scramble for aspirants. ODM will today host an aspirants’ meeting at the Bomas of Kenya. TNA will have a similar function at Kasarani on Friday.

On Friday and Saturday Raila will be campaigning in Narok County, while Uhuru will be at the home of Kajiado North MP Moses ole Sakuda for his homecoming and thanks-giving.  On Sunday Raila will host what his Press team calls a “major rally’’ at Dandora’s Tom Mboya Stadium.

Two weeks ago TNA held a retreat to plot its election strategy in Naivasha. This was followed by a series of defections to the party founded by the son of Kenya’s first President Jomo Kenyatta.

ODM quickly held a party retreat in the same town a few days later, when the party National Elections Board was mandated to ensure free and fair nominations.

“Our Election and Nominations Board has the single challenge of conducting a free and fair nomination process that will ensure we net the most competitive candidates nationwide,” declared Raila.

Make or break

He said it was a task the board must embark on urgently and diligently to leave no doubt ODM intends to conduct free and fair nominations.

What followed is aspirants meeting today to forestall any falling out during party nominations, which as expected could create discontent among contestants for various seats.

“It is a delicate situation for the two parties (ODM and TNA), since they have emerged as the strongest in the current political scene. I predict that due to their popularity, they will be the parties to watch during the presidential run-off,’’ said TNA’s Kareke Mbiuki, an assistant minister.

He added: “If you clearly look at the unfolding political scenario, Uhuru and Raila will be the candidates to beat. That is why you are seeing all these defections of politicians seeking to align themselves with the two.”

“In TNA, we are really prepared as the party nominations would be make or break for the party. The competition for the party ticket is so intense that the nomination would be a delicate affair,’’ he cautioned. “I think there will be more re-alignments ahead of elections. It is clear there would be a cutthroat competition between TNA and ODM,” said Mwea MP Peter Gitau.

Among the parties that have already held aspirants meetings in Nairobi, are Eldoret North MP William Ruto’s United Republican Party, and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement.

Ruto has held URP meetings in almost every constituency countrywide, selling his policies and inviting aspirants to join the party.

At the weekend he welcomed Sotik MP Joyce Laboso to the party from ODM and promised to invite about 40 more to URP before December. He returns to other counties in Coast Province this week after extensively covering Taita Taveta County.

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi’s United Democratic Forum, Martha Karua’s Narc-Kenya, Peter Kenneth’s Kenya National Congress, Charity Ngilu’s Narc, and Nicholas Biwott’s National Vision Party have not hogged as much limelight in receiving defectors or party hoppers.

On Tuesday, Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu said UDF has had a share of defectors and blamed media for giving UDF a blackout ostensibly to promote the “two-horse race” perception.

“Mudavadi has been receiving defectors during his campaigns, but the media do not report about it because they want Kenyans to buy the idea of a two-horse race started by Raila,” he claimed.

Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito said: “ODM is the party that is hard-hit by defectors. Key leaders have quit the party both nationally and at the grassroots and some leaders want us to believe the PM is gaining ground.”

Former Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala said: “I pity ODM when they celebrate bagging former AG Amos Wako. He would not add any value to ODM because he has no respect in Busia County.”

Last week, Wako joined ODM at a high profile event when Raila received him at Orange House.

On Tuesday, ODM chairman Henry Kosgey while receiving defectors also announced Orange would tentatively hold its National Delegates Conference on November 29 and 30.

The forum will focus on how to conduct nominations and receive defectors from other parties, Kosgey said, while issuing a life membership certificate to former MP Lawrence Sifuna at Orange House. Sifuna resigned from Nzoia Sugar Company to vie of the Senate seat in Bungoma on an ODM ticket.

nomination headache

The party will receive former Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Lawrence Majali and former Sotik MP Anthony Kimeto at the Bomas of Kenya today.  “Just a week after the NDC we will have nominations for the primaries,” Tinderet MP revealed. The candidates will declare which positions they want to run for.

“We will conduct a credible, free and fair nominations,” Kosgey said, adding that only the best candidates will get tickets to run. This weekend, Raila takes his campaign to Narok and then return to Dandora’s Tom Mboya grounds in Nairobi the following day for a what his Press team billed ‘a major rally’.

Ruto, Kalonzo, and Mudavadi predictably trashed the opinion poll results indicating Raila and Uhuru were way ahead of the pack.

Raila, who is the favourite candidate in opinion polls – though his margin against Uhuru has been steadily narrowing – has dubbed the elections a race between two horses.

But TNA, which is keen on bringing other parties on board in a post-election coalition, has dismissed Raila’s claim saying it was a show of contempt and disrespect for other Kenyans who have expressed their interest in presidency.  “We refuse to be drawn into the debate of this being a race of animals,” said TNA Secretary General Onyango Oloo.

TNA has been working on possible coalition pacts with other parties, seen as a move to stop Raila. Ruto, Uhuru and Kalonzo reignited national interest on this matter by reuniting and posing for cameras last week.

Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi’s Alliance Party of Kenya also voted to support Uhuru, while on Monday PNU’s NEC endorsed a coalition arrangement with TNA.

On Tuesday, ODM National Elections Board Chairman Henry Kathurima dismissed fears of a falling out due to unfair nominations, urging those who complainants to look other excuses.

The nomination headache is bigger in TNA, where outspoken aspirants have demanded equal treatment, with incumbents holding political positions.