Why Kalonzo-Mudavadi pact presents distinct option

By Mundia Muchiri

The announcement of a Third Force to rival the twin axis led by Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta presents the most compelling twist to the spurt of coalition-building that has fixated Kenyans for the past three months. The fledgling coalition bringing together Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is captivating because it presents voters with a distinct option away from the raucous and ultimately polarising contest of a so-called two-horse race.

Until now, this has been a campaign characterised more by the cacophony of deal-making and deal-breaking, rather than clear choices for the voter. It has been a period of winning over and parading the support of regional kingpins rather than building policy coherence within the two groups of politicians. Now, as US President Barack Obama often said in his battle with Republican Mitt Romney, the choice the voters face is stark clear. The different parties and those coalescing around them offer distinctly different menus of possibilities. Choose one or the other, and it’s clear where you are headed.

For Mr Mudavadi and Kalonzo, the obvious definition of their forthcoming platform is that they offer a safe and sober option. Besides the widely acceptable demeanor of the Third Force personalities, weighed against the baggage the other horses carry into the election (the ICC cases will be an issue for some, as will be the polarising character of the other), the policy orientation of every party must be made to count for something this time round. And here, I am not talking as a media man obviously aligned to the Mudavadi campaign. At a personal level, I am perhaps more affected by Government policies than your average voter.

Let me tell you about my dalliances with the farm so that you can understand where I am coming from.

Like most other Kenyans with a peasant background, I have an unnatural attachment to land. And so it was that I ended up in the highlands of Narok. I went headlong into cabbage and potato growing with a plan that hinged on continuous production, meaning that I would be in Marigiti market every week of the year. Today I have more than 40,000 cabbages up in Narok, but there is no viable way of getting them to the market.

Fortunately for the Kenyan consumer, there is always a fresh crop of foolish entrepreneurs who think they can make something out of the cabbages, etc, whether as growers or traders or both. They come with a variety of theories (Eliminate middlemen! Up the scale beyond the peasant levels!) They come in, lose their investment, then walk away swearing never to be back, even as a fresh bunch of entrepreneurs join the fray.

This past week, I have spent quality time looking at the fine print of the UDF Party manifesto, and I love the chapter about overthrowing the Delamere economy. My natural inclination in this exercise has been to take care of the interests of the Narok-Marigiti brigade. And policy makers must figure out where the housewives of Kangemi will get their cabbages should the country eventually run out of foolish investors.

Back to coalitions and the choices we face. Kenyans, let’s be sure to look at three key indicators: One, do the policies present viable prospects for a resolution of the challenges that afflict us, and a sustenance of what is already working for us? Two, does the package guarantee that our beloved country will not be thrown into a debilitating controversy with the international community? Three, is the package good for the national integration fabric, or will it tear it to pieces? It is through this prism that the emerging Mudavadi-Kalonzo axis must be seen – it’s a parade of a new set of possibilities for Kenyans to interact with.

The writer is Director of Communications, Musalia Mudavadi Presidential Campaign Centre.