Kiraitu: ‘Bus’ to hold joint nominations with TNA

By Patrick Muthuri and Munene Kamau

Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) and Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA party will hold joint nominations despite protests from APK delegates in Meru under what will be known as “TNA Coalition”, Cabinet Minister Kiraitu Murungi has revealed.

This comes a week after delegates led by Meru County Party Chairman Silas Muriuki (North Imenti) resolved not to hold joint nominations with TNA, threatening to withdraw their support from Uhuru if he maintains calls to disband the party.

Kiraitu, who was addressing party delegates at APK offices in Makutano, Meru town, however, said the negotiating teams were crafting a coalition deal that would protect APK party from being eclipsed by TNA.

“We have been meeting and negotiating with Uhuru Kenyatta for the last one week over how APK and TNA will work together. I agree with delegates’ resolution that the ‘Bus’ should not be ‘swallowed’ by TNA.

“So far, we have agreed to hold joint nominations with TNA. No party will make it to power without a coalition,” Kiraitu said.

Not a merger

He said that the ‘Bus’ negotiation team comprising of Ntoitha M’Mithiaru (Igembe North), Peter Munya (Tigania East) and Lenny Kivuti (Siakago) is engaging their TNA counterparts in forming a coalition that will cater for the interests of the region.

“Declaring that we will go it alone as Meru will lead us nowhere. We are negotiating for a coalition and not a merger. We want to do an electoral pact where we will get into government as a team,” he added.

He said since he joined competitive politics in 1992, he had never remained in one party for more than five years.

 “If you track back my political history, you will realise that in 1992 I was elected on a Ford-Kenya ticket, in 1997 on DP, 2002 through Narc, in 2007 the PNU and this time round I am on the APK.”