KKK alliance gave Raila a lifeline that he should run away with

By John Mwazemba

The alleged ‘KKK’ alliance is a bright political move, no matter what the opponents say.

It is a clever ploy to stop Prime Minister Raila Odinga on his tracks – widely viewed by many as a front-runner in the race to State House.

It must have given the Premier’s camp some sleepless nights, no doubt. While Raila was busy in Ivory Coast, the ground was shaking as the ‘KKK’ alliance gathered momentum. There was also the clamour for generational change. The climax of the ‘KKK’ alliance was the Eldoret Rally, which President Kibaki attended.

Indeed, for some time, the PM’s camp seemed flustered as the KKK proponents grinned and paraded broad smiles. I do not know who decided to call the alliance KKK and how it displayed in the media for the public. Maybe it was a way of shocking the seasoned PM or to get his attention and give him sleepless nights. It clearly worked in scaring the PM’s camp – if the recent push of panic buttons by the PM’s allies is anything to go by.

Where the KKK alliance floundered and that its main Achilles heel – is in the seemingly exclusivity of the alliance. There is an emerging narrative against the KKK alliance and it’s lethal – that it’s only for people belonging to certain regions.

Even former President Moi rebuked the alliance saying it would leave some people out. Where will the people who do not belong to any of the ‘Ks’ go?

And that has, ironically, given the PM a lifeline and a campaign narrative, which he should push with all his political might. The proponents of the alliance have quickly distanced themselves from the idea, fearing the inevitable backlash. A late line from their camp – which should have been their first – is they are interested in only one ‘K’ for Kenya. Unfortunately, the KKK label, whether by design or through propaganda, is sticking. Unless they shed it off, it will be hard to sell whatever alliance they will cobble together. They have a headstart with numbers, but with this little miscalculation, they could be "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory".

It is no wonder even close friends of those rumoured to be in the KKK alliance have now distanced themselves from them. Certain politicians from the Coast, who should be clamouring for generational change, seem to have been discouraged by the whispers of the KKK alliance, as they do not belong to any of the ‘Ks’.

If the PM adopts the line he is taking, of bringing together all Kenyans, it will pose a serious challenge to the KKK alliance. Just as much as proponents of the KKK alliance may galvanise support of their constituents, if the PM plays his cards well, he could galvanise the support other people who may feel left out.

Obviously, that is not what proponents of the alliance hoped for but they need to quickly fight this emerging narrative or they could spend all their campaigns explaining why they are not KKK. That could take a lot of political capital, as they may not even have the time to explain what they stand for. Usually, during elections, truth is sacrificed and propaganda and misinformation take centre stage.

Those in the KKK alliance should have hushed about it. They should have formed a coalition party with a good name with the same players. Now they have to fight off a negative label they are not even proud of.

Whether the KKK alliance will push away the emerging narrative of exclusivity and be embraced by Kenyans across the board is not easy to tell. Of course, the tyranny of numbers dictates that everyone of a sound mind should not write off this alliance – which can deliver millions of votes to a candidate without breaking a sweat. However, those celebrating that the PM is now ‘finished’ should think twice. He has just found a lifeline in the emerging political equation and he should exploit it.

—The writer comments on social and political issues