By Standard on Saturday Team
KENYA: Leaders planning to contest the presidency in the 2013 General Election have come under fire for sidelining national voter groups in their coalition talks.
They stand accused of working to keep themselves and groups of political and ethnic elite happy by securing positions to be shared out after the poll. They have also been faulted for failing to strengthen their political parties into viable democratic institutions.
Voter groups like the youth, women, farmers, workers, civil servants and the like have all had to take a back-seat in a conversation about 42 tribes, dominated by a few.
“It is unlikely we will see issue-based politics at this point,” says one Church leader, expressing disappointment at the focus on so-called “community interests” with just three months to go to the March 4 election.
Leaders from almost all the major political parties have been burning the midnight oil in deal-cutting meetings ahead of a December 4 deadline. But instead of focusing on deals based on policy priorities, most parties and leaders are fighting over how to share out jobs in the next government or slots on a joint presidential ticket, or in national and county assemblies. Voters are being told that the scramble for jobs is in the best interests of their regions, ethnic communities or parties. However, those making these backroom deals are yet to show how their tribe-driven horse-trading serves national interests.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya says the approach taken by local political leaders is “too ethnicised”. The same complaint has been raised by politicians in other East African countries who fear the tribal tactics used to create Kenyan alliances may be adopted elsewhere, leading to weaker political parties and greater instability.
Front runners
“If the front-runners are the fellows we know, it is unlikely we will see issue-based politics at this point in time,” says NCCK Secretary General Peter Karanja. “The issue-based politicians who are in the picture now may not win because of the ethnicised political approach we have. However, they have an opportunity to start creating a culture of such politics so that we can go in that direction in future.”
This could be undone by efforts to weaken political parties ahead of the next election, ensuring politics remains all about leading personalities. Parliament is set to consider a Bill by ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo that could see parties conduct nominations without having to register members. The move, along with other changes to electoral laws, will prevent parties from becoming stronger democratic institutions that can compete on issues rather than ethnic make-up.
The lack of strong political parties with solid values and broad membership was one of the factors blamed by the Independent Electoral Review Commission for leading to a “polluted electoral atmosphere” that made it impossible to have free and fair elections in Kenya.
International development expert Calestous Juma warns the democratic process in many countries on the continent has been hijacked by tribal politics.
“The challenge to democracy in Africa is… the use of identity politics to promote narrow tribal interests,” he says. “In the absence of efforts to build political parties to compete on the basis of ideas, many African countries have reverted to tribal identities as the basis for political competition. Tribal practices are filling a vacuum created by lack of strong democratic institutions.”
“Politicians need to give before they receive,” says Chief Kadhi Ahmad Muhdhar. “What we are seeing is very cheap politics. Our leaders need to upgrade from small deals amongst a few people to politics that takes care of the welfare of all.”
TNA’s Uhuru Kenyatta and URP’s William Ruto are expected to formally sign a pre-election coalition agreement in the next few days. They are holding out the post of Leader of the Majority Party in Parliament to draw in Narc’s Charity Ngilu after failing to entice Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and New Ford Kenya’s Eugene Wamalwa with other positions.
Cabinet positions
ODM’s Raila Odinga, who had earlier ruled out any coalitions, is making a play for Kalonzo’s Wiper and, perhaps, UDF’s Musalia Mudavadi, again with offers to share out Cabinet and other positions. Several other parties – POA and KNC, New Ford-Kenya, UDM, NVP and, perhaps, Kanu – are also in talks about not fielding candidates against each other. (Kanu, led by chairman Gideon Moi, says it will stay away from “tribal alliances”.) In almost all the cases, the horse-trading has been tied to satisfying personal ambitions and securing jobs, with little or no discussion over what legislative or development agenda the coalitions will adopt.
Even leaders outside the political arena who could be championing issue-oriented politics have been drawn into the tribal fray. Mr Francis Atwoli, the head of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, has taken an active interest in the upcoming election.
His focus, however, has largely been on securing Western Kenya unity rather than ensuring all top candidates prioritise the interests of workers and trade unions.
Observers say political deals in mature democracies like the United Kingdom are often centered on key issues. For example, a proposal to have the Conservative Party, led by PM David Cameron, secure 30 seats by working with an anti-European Union party in the country’s next election is being fought by party leaders because it would require agreeing to a referendum on whether to remain in the EU.
A key party official who floated the idea risks losing his job for even dreaming up the scheme.
Various leaders are holding out hope for such issue-based politics.
“We are telling Kenyans please vet your leaders,” says NCCK deputy Secretary General Oliver Kisaka. “We need to change the game from ethnicity to issue based politics. In fact, if we were to agree, we would even support leaders like (Martha) Karua, (Peter) Kenneth and (James ole) Kiyapi who are introducing a different approach.”
