Small parties causing jitters in Kenyatta’s TNA

By Wainaina Ndung’u

KENYA: All candidates for elective positions in the Mt Kenya region are using presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta’s name and pictures to charm the electorate.

Whether they belong to Mr Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) party or smaller entities, candidates for elective seats have devised many ways to show how loyal and close they are to Mr Kenyatta or his personal friends.

Politicians who are using Mr Kenyatta as a charm to win over votes range from those belonging to his party to those who took off after the nomination exercise or those who chose to vie on tickets of smaller parties.

The candidates are drawn from an array of parties such as Democratic Party (DP), the Grand National Union (GNU), Saba Saba Asili (SSA) and Charity Ngilu’s National Rainbow Coalition (Narc).

At the same time, a host of other parties are cashing in on the Uhurumania, something that is likely to develop into a political whirlwind and sweep aside politicians perceived to be swimming against the tide.

The County Weekly has established that the TNA colours, Mr Kenyatta’s portrait and slogans such as “Uhuru Tuko na Wewe” have become very popular.

They are prominently emblazoned on campaign posters, flyers, pamphlets and billboards of candidates running on minor party tickets.

Some of the candidates are also invoking slogans to convince voters of their loyalty to the Deputy Prime Minister.

Most of the candidates decamped to fringe parties after they lost in the TNA primaries.

Another popular strategy in the Mt Kenya region is to print large advertising posters of a physical encounter with Mr Kenyatta and display them in prominent places in the constituency or county.

One of the candidates using this strategy is Peter Gichuki King’ara, the GNU candidate for the Othaya parliamentary seat.

A large banner showing Mr King’ara in a bear hug with Mr Kenyatta has been on display at his Othaya Mall building for a while.

Mr King’ara was originally in TNA but opted out of the party after the nominations, complaining that the process favoured his rival.

After losing the TNA nominations to Mary Wambui Munene, Mr King’ara told The County Weekly that he had been vindicated about his concerns on the party’s ability to hold credible primaries in the constituency.

Serious threat

 “There is little doubt that Mr Kenyatta is the preferred presidential candidate in this region,” said Mr King’ara at the time.

He was cautious in his speech lest he be seen as criticising the DPM.

 “We identify with Mr Kenyatta though we still have doubts on TNA’s ability to deliver a credible election in areas such as Othaya where the status quo has preferred candidates,” he charged.

Activist Ndung’u Wainaina of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) says strong candidates in Laikipia, Nyandarua, Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi may pose a threat to TNA.

Mr Wainaina says it is likely the 1992 scenario in which candidates in some of those regions did not stand with the party of the regional leading front-runner Kenneth Matiba may play out again.

“We are seeing a trend where the region may give its presidential vote to Mr Kenyatta but opt for non TNA candidates in other seats,” says Mr Wainaina.

Disgruntled and frustrated

He says candidates from smaller parties in the region as well as TNA-allied parties such as Narc and GNU have capitalised on using the Kenyatta brand magic in their campaigns.

Although TNA secretariat has insisted that the party will campaign for its candidates, former Gatanga MP David Murathe recently told The County Weekly that TNA saw no conflict in competition with allied parties.

“They will campaign for their candidates and we will drum up support for ours,” said Mr Murathe.

He went on, “If our candidates lose to competitors from friendly parties such as Grand National Union (GNU) and Alliance Party of Kenya (APK), we will take it that our supporters did not buy our message for the need for strong parliamentary group and direct control of devolved governments.”

Among the areas where Uhuru allied candidates are seen as a threat to the TNA ones are Nyeri, Embu, Meru and Laikipia counties.

Political analyst Peter Kagwanja, a close friend of APK founder Kiraitu Murungi  says there is  discontent in Meru and Mbeere.

“Parties such as APK feel disgruntled and frustrated that Mr Kenyatta refused to negotiate with their leader while bending over backward to accommodate smaller outfits such as Charity Ngilu’s Narc,” said Prof Kagwanja.

Some of the small-party candidates seen as posing a threat to TNA nominees include Peter Munya for the Meru gubernatorial contest against Dr Kilemi Mwiria.

Other APK parliamentary candidates posing a threat to TNA are Lenny Kivuti who is gunning for the Embu Senate seat against former minister Peter Njeru Ndwiga and Petkay Miriti in Tharaka Nithi gubernatorial contest.

Flamboyant legislator

Assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri is also causing Joshua Irungu  who is eyeing Laikipia gubernatorial seat some sleepless nights.

Other areas include Nyeri County where the TNA gubernatorial aspirant Wahome Gakuru is battling Nderitu Gachagua (GNU) and Thuo Mathenge (SSA).

TNA insiders say the trend in some of those areas will be promptly reversed when the party national officials including Mr Kenyatta come hunting for votes.

“Our belief is that the apparent headstart some of those rivals appear to have gained will be erased in hours once the Deputy Prime Minister personally spells out his appeal for the six piece voting,” says a top TNA official.

According to Mr Wainaina, other areas where candidates from smaller parties might spring surprises are Nakuru County and several constituencies in Nyandarua North.

In a constituency such as Othaya, candidates like Mr King’ara are also seen as having the potential of springing a surprise.

The same surprise may happen in areas like Kiambu County where fears over the credibility of primaries pushed out former Rockefeller Foundation regional chief James Nyoro who is now in Narc against TNA’s William Kabogo.

The flamboyant immediate former Juja MP is not seen to be inspiring confidence among conservative and older voters.

Mbaru’s lifeline

In Nairobi, the decision by APK to grant corporate executive and investment banker Jimnah Mbaru a ticket for the gubernatorial seat ruffled feathers with TNA because of that candidature’s ability to split the party’s bedrock of voters.

TNA top brass were particularly angry with the lifeline given to Mr Mbaru by APK, pointing out its magnanimity towards Mr Murungi by denying Mathew Adams Karauri the TNA ticket for Meru Senate seat.