Healthy political competition remains a key determinant to mature democracy. The minimum preconditions for this competition to thrive with minimal or no conflict is to create an environment that enhances free and fair processes that do not give an advantage to one player/s to the detriment of all other competitors. In the process of managing this competition, political leaders have devised strategies that place them ahead of their competitors. Such strategies sometimes involve political pacts and covenants which bind natural or juridical persons to expedient arrangements.
The Jubilee government was born out of such a negotiated political pact between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto. This pact was negotiated with the full backing of their political parties, TNA and URP, prior to the 2013 General Election . Nay sayers have lived to witness the success of that political pact.
It is quite evident that the achievements under that political pact transcend the performance of the “nusu mkate” political arrangement under former President Mwai Kibaki and former Premier Raila Odinga. On the extreme left, political leaders have sometimes fallen out because one side of the divide fails to keep up the promise of honouring a pact made between the leaders or institutions.
That is why statements attributed to certain political leaders to the effect that Central Kenya may not support Deputy President William Ruto in 2022 are personal and may only be intended to fortify personal political goals.
They are insensitive to the journey the Jubilee Alliance has come thus far and shreds the sacrifices made by President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto. The statements are indicative of failure to distinguish between individual person political differences and the generally accepted and pronounced party position.
Jubilee Alliance was formed against a barrage of ethnic biases and negative attitudes towards a pragmatic political leadership that would eventually put hitherto diverse communities on one table to form a government that was destined to bring unity among Kenyans.
Politically, at the time, it was inconceivable that people from Rift Valley, Central Kenya and other parts of the country, who identified with the vision enshrined in Jubilee Manifesto to come together, bury their hatchet and join hands to work together and deliver victory against a battery of incumbents in the rival Cord Coalition.
Peace and stability are key signs of a prosperous political regime. So far, Jubilee has demonstrated its commitment to ensure never again shall communities rise against each other because of elections.
The roll out of state projects across the country, even in areas that did not vote for Jubilee, clearly confirms the government’s commitment to dismantle state-sanctioned exclusion tendencies.
Jubilee’s journey is unstoppable. Elected leaders within the alliance must desist from stoking fires that can consume the fledgling peace being experienced across the country.
Political leaders and their parties must strive to honour agreements made between themselves. This not only boosts the integrity of the concerned leadership but also dissipates deep seated suspicions that cloud interaction among different communities.
But we in Jubilee have made a commitment to ensure there is continuity to the Uhuru-Ruto political agenda. The collapsing of TNA, URP, APK, GNU, UDF, RC, Ford–People and New Ford-Kenya is the clearest indication that Jubilee is determined to go all the way to 2022.
The formation of Jubilee Party is expected to bring the Jubilee family into one house and still invite others who share the same vision and mission to take Kenya to the next level of development, peacefully.
The party has laid out its structures that are accommodative to different ethnic, regional, gender and political interests all in a conscious effort to bring harmony and cohesion in the country.
It is irresponsible for respected political leaders to stick out their necks and spurt out inflammatory statements that demean Jubilee affiliate parties’ stake in the 2017 re-election plan.
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