PNU hints at going solo in 2012 polls

PNU vice chairman George Nyamweya (left) national chairman Prof George Saitoti (centre) and secretary general Kiraitu Murungi (right) confer at a PNU/NEC meeting on November 26, 2010 at Mayfair Hotel in Nairobi. They resolved to strengthen the PNU party in the grassroots in preparation of the 2012 elections and vowed to front a candidate of their own. SULEIMAN MBATIAH 

By OLIVER MATHENGE, omathenge@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Friday, November 26 2010 at 18:03

The Party of National Unity has hinted at going it alone in the 2012 General Election during a meeting of its National Executive Council Friday.

Party chairman Prof George Saitoti said that PNU was strengthening itself to dominate the next polls but was not ruling out the possibility of forming alliances with other parties.

He made the comment just a day before the party holds its Governing Council meeting at Wonder Joy Gardens in Kiambu.

"This party has the capability to produce a presidential candidate on its own but we will continue consulting in order to have a strong candidate during the 2012 elections,” Prof Saitoti said at the Mayfair Hoel, Nairobi.

The Internal Security minister said that PNU’s presidential candidate would be competitively nominated adding that “the days of imposing a candidate are gone”.

The meeting was attended by the party’s top leadership including ministers Kiraitu Murungi, Beth Mugo, Chirau Mwakwere and Amos Kimunya. Others included former MPs Maina Kamanda, Bett Tett, Dick Wathika and MPs Nemesyus Warungongo, Cecile Mbarire, Jeremiah Kioni, and Jamleck Kamau.

During the last election, PNU whose party leader is President Kibaki, joined hands with other parties to form the PNU coalition. The coalition was later joined by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s ODM-Kenya at the height of the disputed presidential poll results in 2008.

There have been reports that Prof Saitoti, Mr Musyoka and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, all presumed presidential candidates, will fight it out for the ticket on the pro-Kibaki party or coalition.

The candidate chosen is expected to face off with the Orange Democratic Movement, led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga, in the presidential election now two years away.

Mr Kibaki has served two terms and is ineligible for re-election.

Mr Kenyatta of Kanu, PNU’s Prof Saitoti and Mr Musyoka of ODM-K are said t o have agreed to compete against each other in a primary election to pick the presidential torchbearer.