GLANCE FACTS
Party gains support
• TNA has made inroads, including in Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s home turf in South Nyanza, where the party fielded a candidate in the Ndhiwa constituency by-election
• TNA won the Eldoret Market Ward in the backyard of United Republican Party leader William Ruto and the Nyamira civic ward in Kisii
• The party has widened support base in Coast and Ukambani, where its candidates for various civic seats in the by-elections made a strong showing
• The party is now strategically positioning itself to capture the political bases of parties that were part of Government through PNU
By Abdikadir Sugow
Only four months after it was launched, The National Alliance Party ( TNA) led by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has made an impact on the political landscape.
TNA has sent a strong signal to the existing political networks, particularly in Central and Nairobi region, after the big win in the just-concluded Kangema and Kajiado North parliamentary by-elections.
It has also made inroads in almost every corner of the country, including Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s home turf in South Nyanza, where the party fielded a candidate in the Ndhiwa by-elections.
Raila and Uhuru, who are presidential aspirants, are considered to be the frontrunners in the March 4 General Election.
TNA won the Eldoret Market Ward in the backyard of United Republican Party (URP) leader William Ruto and the Nyamira civic ward in Kisii. TNA has further left formidable imprints and widened support base in Coast and Ukambani, where its candidates for various civic seats in the by-elections made a strong showing.
The party is now strategically positioning itself to capture the political bases of parties that were part of government of national unity, including the Party of National Unity, which retained President Kibaki in State House in 2007.
So far the parties, which have felt the heat of Uhuru’s TNA wave, are those in the Mt Kenya region, including Kiraitu Murungi’s Alliance Party of Kenya, Narc-Kenya led by Martha Karua, the Democratic Party and Grand National Union associated with Assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri.
The TNA wave also means that the much-popularised G7 Alliance of Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi’s United Democratic Forum, New Ford-Kenya of Eugene Wamalwa and Ruto’s URP could effectively be on the decline.
Before forming TNA, the G7 leaders piled pressure on Uhuru to name a party, but he flatly rejected their overtures and decided to chart his won political destiny.
TNA Director of Political Affairs Kariuki Mate told The Standard On Sunday that his party would not make any pre-election pact. He asked those angling for Uhuru’s endorsement to defect to TNA as individuals. Mr Mate said that in the event of a run-off, post-election coalitions could be considered, but this would depend on the strength of parties making the move and the number of MPs they could gain at the ballot. He said the by-elections have opened up more strategic ideas for the party, which is enjoying overwhelming support from voters and there would be no plans to engage any political party “because these parties have nothing to bring on board other than unnecessary frictions.” TNA would go it alone to the polls, he added.
He said TNA is no longer worried that the multiplicity of parties, including those in G7 Alliance, would affect Uhuru’s chances to win the presidency as he enjoys national support.
