No walkover for Uhuru’s party

  SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTRATING

PHOTO | FILE GNU leader Mwangi Kiunjuri addresses party supporters at Muriru village. GNU says it has strong aspirants positioning themselves and the party will be one of the two “horses” that will eventually emerge in Nyeri and its environs.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By BILLY MUIRURI bmuiruri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, October 20  2012 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• The majority of the sitting MPs in Nyeri and Nyandarua counties were not actively involved in TNA’s activities until a fortnight ago
• The MPs initially expressed dissatisfaction with the way the party was conducting its affairs, and only shifted to avoid voters backlash
• GNU has taken a huge chunk of the grassroots support in Nyeri and Laikipia

SHARE THIS STORY

An apathy against The National Alliance (TNA) is slowly taking root in Nyeri and its diaspora counties even as the party receives aspirants in droves.

The majority of the sitting MPs in Nyeri and Nyandarua counties were not actively involved in TNA’s activities until a fortnight ago.

The defectors, Nyeri Town’s Esther Murugi, Mathira’s Ephraim Maina, Ol Kalou’s Erastus Mureithi and Kinangop’s David Ngugi, were rooting for the Alliance Party of Kenya.

The MPs initially expressed dissatisfaction with the way the party was conducting its affairs, and only shifted to avoid voters backlash. Several of them were said to have reluctantly joined the party.

Nemesyus Warugongo of Kieni and Francis Nyammo of Tetu have struck a middle ground. But the Laikipia MPs Mwangi Kiunjuri (East) and Ndiritu Muriithi (West) have never had time for TNA and instead root for the Grand National Union (GNU) and United Democratic Forum (UDF) respectively.

Even then, several aspirants say TNA has some homework to do in wooing serious contenders for positions in the three Central counties.

Democratic Party secretary-general, former Kieni MP Chris Murungaru, is also eyeing an alternative vehicle.
In Nyeri, only Mukurwe-ini MP Kabando wa Kabando has indicated an intention to defend his seat on a TNA ticket but only belatedly.

But the dynamics might change with the entry of influential Nyeri businesswoman Mary Wambui, who is set to run for the Othaya parliamentary seat on a TNA ticket.

The perception that President Kibaki is not fully supportive of Mr Kenyatta’s bid for State House has reportedly trickled down to the grassroots.

Those in “the Bus” (Alliance Party of Kenya) had stuck there in the belief that a protocol signed between PNU, Mr Kenyatta, ODM-Kenya and small parties would be implemented and the parties dissolved to form APK.

GNU has taken a huge chunk of the grassroots support in Nyeri and Laikipia. Instructively, the faces of GNU Mr Kiunjuri and former Mathira MP Nderitu Gachagua, seem to have changed tack, retreating to the grassroots.

TNA, on the other hand, has chosen to play county politics where they seek to win over current and former MPs.

“We are an alternative. We have strong aspirants positioning themselves and I can tell you GNU will be one of the two horses that will eventually emerge in Nyeri and its environs,” Mr Gachagua told the Sunday Nation.

The party’s forceful entry into Nyeri politics is notable. Past civic by-elections painted the party as an alternative to the perceived mainstream party. In the Mutira by-election in the neighbouring Kirinyaga county last month, GNU’s David Kinyua was beaten by the TNA candidate by 13 votes.

Earlier civic by-elections showed a growing apathy against perceived big parties. In December last year, GNU won the Ngorano ward seat in Mathira constituency against PNU. It took President Kibaki’s intervention to stop the party on its tracks in Karima ward in his Othaya constituency. Still, GNU’s candidate managed 1,310 votes against PNU’s 1,505 votes.

Aware of the dynamics, many aspirants are shopping for alternative parties for fear of the intrigues expected in the TNA nominations. Ms Murugi had earlier said she was firmly in the “Bus” and was even elected chairperson. But, even as she handed in APK offices to TNA, she expressed fears that the party was in the grip of certain individuals.

“I believed all these parties would join APK as agreed. I now support TNA but some aspirants have invaded it. TNA or any other party cannot win on its own. That is the fact,” she had said in an earlier telephone interview.

Mr Muriithi, the Laikipia West MP, says TNA is out of Laikipia and the battle will be between his UDF party and “perhaps GNU”.

He and Mr Kiunjuri will lock horns in the Laikipia governorship race. Mr Kiunjuri, who started his campaigns early has gained ground as a leading contender.

“We are telling people to own the party as it is for the poor. It will listen to them as we have been doing,” Mr Kiunjuri said of GNU.

Nyandarua, Laikipia and Kirinyaga have always favoured President Kibaki against Mr Kenyatta in past elections and it remains to be seen if there will be a paradigm shift now that Mr Kibaki will not be running.

Talk that President Kibaki is not supporting Mr Kenyatta for the presidency, and instead favours Mr Mudavadi has penetrated local politics.

Diehard supporters of the President are said to share the view that Mr Kenyatta’s candidature is not tenable in this election.

TNA leading lights in Nyandarua Peter Gathimba and Faith Gitau say the party has the people. Their sentiments a re echoed by party secretary-general Onyango Oloo. “We have the people. The leaders will have to follow the people.”