NAKURU: Close to a week after Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) candidate Patrick Tutui lost the Kajiado Central parliamentary seat to Orange Democratic Movement's Elijah Memusi, political leaders from Rift Valley are still beating themselves up and advancing various theories for the loss.
While some attribute the loss to leadership wrangles in neighboring Narok County, others say the row over the formation of JAP in the South Rift did not bode well for the party.
Last week, Bomet East MP Bernard Bett said the arrest of the five legislators from the region following violent demonstrations against Narok Governor Samuel Tunai could have poisoned the environment for Jubilee. That and JAP's skewed party primaries left Jubilee particularly vulnerable, he said.
"ODM took advantage and we need to re-look into the procedures in our nomination exercises," said Bett.
Some leaders from Rift Valley agree with Narok East MP Ken Kiloku and insist that the JAP candidate was imposed on voters.
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"Kajiado has been an ODM stronghold for a long time, and JAP brought the battle to ODM's doorstep. The outcome has no implication on the politics of Narok," said Kiloku.
Jubilee was dealt a major blow in the final days of the campaign when influential Maasai spokesman and former National Heritage Minister William ole Ntimama endorsed Memusi.
Selling the JAP candidate to voters was always going to be a tall order given that some Jubilee leaders had voiced their opposition to the party that Tutui was using as his elections vehicle.
Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto says many leaders had opposed the formation of the new JAP party and this could have had a bearing on the poll outcome.
"The Jubilee leadership demonstrated arrogance, dictatorship and a high level of contempt for its membership ... this resulted in the JAP candidate's loss. I applaud the people of Kajiado Central constituency for electing Memusi," said Ruto.
Governor Ruto, who played a key role in the formation of the Jubilee affiliate party URP, has criticised the Deputy President for directing that all affiliate parties dissolve themselves and merge with JAP by 2016.
SERIOUS ISSUES
"If you plan to kick out people from the party for the simple reason that they have not agreed with a position you have taken after you failed to build consensus over a serious issue which has direct bearing on the next General Election, then I think we (Jubilee) are saying we are not interested in a second term in office. Why this level of arrogance and dictatorship?" asked Bomet governor Ruto.
The loss in Kajiado Central has forced politicians allied to Jubilee Alliance to call for a review of its political strategy. Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lagat says there is need for massive mobilisation at the grassroots to inform Jubilee supporters of the intended transition from The National Alliance (TNA) and United Republican Party (URP) to JAP.
"We have learnt our lessons in the by-election," said the lawmaker. "We did not lose in Kajiado Central because the seat belonged to ODM. In fact, the opposition (ODM) should be very worried because of the narrow margin of votes dividing the winner and the runners up. The outcome is a good start for JAP."
The contentious formation of the Jubilee Alliance Party has triggered protests by some members of the ruling coalition, particularly from the South Rift, who say key members of URP should have been consulted over its viability.
"As a region, we must have our own political identity instead of allowing individuals driven by their selfish interests to hold us hostage because we will end up regretting it. Why are they fast-tracking the process of dissolving URP and TNA? It is as if the world is ending tomorrow." Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot said.
Some leaders from the North Rift, most of whom received the new party with open arms, are now also expressing their misgivings.
"The President was subjected to ridicule by camping and drumming up support for a candidate who was not saleable. Senator Charles Keter, (National Assembly Majority Leader) Aden Duale and Kigumo legislator Jamleck Kamau should take the blame," said Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter.
The outspoken MP said Memusi would have been the ideal candidate for JAP.
"The nomination process was flawed. Memusi, who participated in the JAP nomination, was the right candidate to fly the party ticket," said Keter.
Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen said JAP's defeat would serve as a wake-up call for the new political party.
"While CORD had an organised strategy using coordination structures up to the grassroots, JAP was divided over who should control campaigns between URP and TNA," said Bowen.
Uasin Gishu Senator Isaac Melly and Elijah Lagat (Chesumei) agreed and said JAP should have had a more coordinated campaign.
Political analyst Ledama ole Kina also shared these views and said local leaders rather than politicians from other regions should have spearheaded the canvassing for votes.
"The presence of National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, senators Charles Keter, Kipchumba Murkomen and Mike Sonko and MP Jamleck Kamau was not well received by voters," says Ledama ole Kina.
"It was naïve for the Jubilee coalition to use a relatively new political party with no grassroots structures to contest a by-election in a constituency that was already under the grip of the Opposition," Ole Kina observed.
Additional reporting by Silah Koskei and Titus Too
